


Unchain My Heart

by SithHappens



Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-09-08
Updated: 2013-05-25
Packaged: 2017-11-13 19:44:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 25,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/507059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SithHappens/pseuds/SithHappens
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>A/N: The Vipunen is taken from Antero Vipunen from Finnish folklore who is slightly different from what I've put in the story. But Supernatural isn't always known for getting it's myths entirely straight, so I took the liberty.</p>
<p>~Sithy</p>
        </blockquote>





	1. You Shook Me

Dean's eyes zeroed in on the blonde babe sitting at the bar as soon as he walked in. He smirked, glad he had picked this particular bar out of the few others he had passed. Sure it was a little more crowded, which always promised a good time, but maybe the night would be a little more fun than he thought. With a quick scan of the other patrons, a majority of which were women in skirts that left little to the imagination, he knew Sam would be kicking himself for staying at the motel, research be damned.

He sidled up to the bar, right next to the blonde who was just finishing her drink. With a smooth smile that worked on so many women in so many bars, Dean began his little ritual. She was all giggles as he bought her another drink along with his. Almost putty in his hands after a few quips that were basically meaningless. A smug sense of satisfaction when he realized a few well-placed caresses would mean not sleeping alone that night.

Of course, his ever-observant Hunter's senses told him when the bar door opened and another patron stepped in, moving a few stools behind him to the bar, but nothing seemed amiss so he didn't think too much of it. It wasn't until the blonde excused herself to powder her nose that Dean heard a resonant female voice a few paces behind him ask for a double shot of whiskey neat. The odd combination piqued his interest enough to make him swivel on his bar stool. She was pretty good-looking, not drop-dead gorgeous, but there was something attractive about her choppy dark hair and tattered-jean-clad ass. Most of her face was masked by a large shoulder-length chunk of hair, full lips just peeking out around it as she sipped from her old-fashioned glass. A raised eyebrow and another smirk, he was starting to forget about the absent blonde.

A voice cracked out above the loud throng of patrons, and Dean realized he chose the wrong bar that night, cringing at the DJ's words.

"All right ladies and gentlemen, it's karaoke night tonight. Who wants to start us out?"

A lot of women shouted out in approval, seemingly ready to start the festivities, but none to eager to step up first. Dean was about to make his exit when the DJ continued. "How 'bout you Laney? Wanna start us out?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Dean caught the brunette raise her glass with a nod before turning toward the crowd and shaking the hair out of her face. I gotta hear this, Dean thought. He had to admit, it was a great view as her hips swayed walking to the karaoke set-up. She talked with the DJ for a moment, a smile lighting her face and making her seem even more attractive. Dean barely noticed the blonde return to his side.

"Okay, I'll do my usual, but," the girl, Laney, paused as she sipped from her glass. There was a cheer from the crowd, including the blonde, which made her chortle a bit into her drink. "But, even though it's totally the wrong era, tonight I'm dedicating this to whoever owns that sexy-ass '67 Impala out in the parking lot."

The grin on Dean's face grew impossibly wider as the first notes of the song came from the speakers. Oh, he was going to like this chick. Her bodied swayed to the guitar rift, her hips punching it every time there was a hard beat, and Dean was a bit taken aback by the power she belted out on the first verse.

She was a fast machine  
She kept her motor clean  
She was the best damn woman I had ever seen  
She had the sightless eyes  
Telling me no lies  
Knockin' me out with those American thighs  
Taking more than her share  
Had me fighting for air  
She told me to come but I was already there

'Cause the walls start shaking  
The earth was quaking  
My mind was aching  
And we were making it and you -  
Shook me all night long

Dean was completely absorbed in the way she shimmied and shook, owning the song like she was onstage with it. He barely registered the agitation of the forgotten blonde beside him, his heel beating in time against the bar stool. When the guitar solo hit, the brunette took a step back to sip her drink some more, sharing a laugh with the DJ who had been nodding his head to the beat. Right before the solo ended, she downed her drink, grabbing the mic stand and surging forward, throwing herself into the music.

She powered through the end, a sheen of sweat across her forehead from all her exertion. The crowd burst into applause as she stepped away from the mic, Dean among the loudest among them, whistling through his teeth in appreciation. The brunette was just sitting down to order another drink when he grabbed his beer and rudely marched away from the first girl of the night. The space beside the singer was open and he took it with gusto, swiveling to give her one of his trademark smirks.

"Name's Dean," he began, not caring if she knew his real first name. "You were awesome up there. You sing professionally?"

The girl made a distinct warning buzzer noise. "Try again."

Her reaction shocked him, but the frown was only momentary. He wasn't one to back down from a challenge. Making his grin as wicked as they come, he replied "Okay, well thanks for the song, then. I've had the Impala quite a while now. She's my baby."

With that, the brunette gave him a once over from the corner of her eye, making him feel a bit like a piece of meat. "Alright, I'll nibble. Name's Laney."

As her face turned to his, Dean noted that his assessment of her from afar had fallen a tad short. Bombshell she wasn't, but it gave him a slight jolt nonetheless. In the suavest tone he could muster, leaning just ever-so much closer, "You have the most gorgeous lips I've ever seen."

His eyes were still stuck on them when they turned down slightly at the corner, bringing his gaze back up to those clear, dark eyes. "Your girlfriend is leaving."

Twisting around, Dean saw the head of the blonde from earlier bobbing out of the bar, body language clearly showing agitation. He gave a half shrug, turning back to the brunette. The hardness of her expression startled him. "You should be careful playing with other peoples' feelings. You might end up hurting the wrong person one day."

She swiftly downed the rest of her whiskey and with little forethought, Dean motioned for the bartender to bring two more. Her nod of thanks let him know she hadn't completely shut the door on him. "You're right. I'm a rogue and a scoundrel. I promise to be better next time."

"Yeah, regular Han Solo, you are," she snorted rather unlady-like into her drink as she sipped.

Oh, the nerdy type, Dead thought fleetingly. Nerdy girls could be so hot. "Hey now! I'm no scruffy lookin' nerfherder."

The warm, genuine smile that spread her face gave Dean a delightful tingly feeling. He knew he'd hit a bit of a cord in her when she turned to face him fully.

"So, how long have you had your Impala?"

\---

After a few more drinks and some small talk, Dean walked out into the cool night air with Laney trailing behind him. The slight buzz from the whiskey warmed him like a familiar blanket, though the brunette beside him seemed less effected as she gave a slight shiver. He was about to give her his jacket when she brushed passed him further onto the asphalt.

"She really is beautiful," she smiled warmly as they stopped in front of the Impala. A small giggle left her as she added "Great paint job. You know, black goes with everything."

"Yep. She's my baby," Dean beamed, ecstatic he could show off his car to a beautiful woman. When she looked up at him with a devilish smirk his heart skipped a bit.

"Think you'd mind firin' 'er up," Laney asked. "Would love to see what she's got under the hood."

It was Dean's turn to smirk as he moved to the driver's seat, pulling the hood latch before sliding the key in and letting the Impala roar to life. Peeking at her through the windshield, he caught a look of utter excitement on Laney's face. He was out of the car and back by her side in no time, pulling the hood open.

"Be still my beating heart," the brunette laughed as she leaned over to see the engine in the dim lighting. The air from the moving parts fanned some of her hair from her face and back over her shoulder. For Dean, it was an invitation and he sure as hell wasn't gonna miss out on the opportunity. Reaching out, he maneuvered his hand beneath her hair to cup the back of her neck, gently starting to move their faces together for what he hoped would be the first of quite a few kisses. But his hopes were dashed when a fearful look came over Laney's face and she pressed her hand against his chest to pull away.

"Whoa whoa whoa," she said softly, her face becoming more gentle at Dean's confused expression. She continued a tad more forcefully however. "Look Dean, you're cute. Hell, I'll even admit, you're pretty damned hot. But please, just don't."

Despite her words, he found himself enthralled with the way she nibbled her lower lip as if worried. He cleared his throat, with a bit of a disappointed nod. "Whatever the lady wants. Though, I gotta tell ya, you make it really hard not to."

"Well, then I guess it's about time I head home then," Laney retorted, a bit of a smile playing at the corner of her lips. It spread to Dean's face and he motioned her to stay put while he went closed the hood and shut off the Impala.

"At least let me walk you to your car," he asked when he returned to her side, sticking out his elbow in a gentlemanly fashion.

Laney obliged him with a smile, sliding her under his arm though she had to lead the way. Dean almost wanted to laugh when he realized her car was a rather ramshackle looking blue 90s Toyota. She looked up at him chagrined when she obviously felt the hitch in his breathing.

"I know, pretty shitty," she snorted as she turned to face him.

"No, no it's…" Dean searched for something nice to say, but it escaped him. She had told him in the bar she didn't have as sweet a ride as he did, but he hadn't really thought it would be this bad. "Yeah, it's pretty shitty."

She laughed sweetly, face brightening so much it warmed Dean even further. "It was nice meeting you, Dean. Don't think I've ever had such a good time when I came to drink alone."

She fished in her pockets for her keys, casting Dean an expectant look before starting to turn away. For his part, Dean wasn't too disappointed. She had been a hell of a conversation partner and extremely easy on the eyes. Plus, the night was still young. If he was feeling restless later he could always try again at the bar. But a wicked idea flashed through his mind, and the brunette was so attractive he just couldn't stop himself. What harm could one little kiss do?

"Hey, Laney," he called with a small amount of urgency. When she turned to look at him with a questioning face, he leaned in and covered her lips with his own. They were just as soft as he had imagined and he damn near ached to part them and slide his tongue in. But he left it chaste, pulling away after a heartbeat. He was sure the wide eyed expression on her face was shock at how amazing such a simple kiss could be, it had sent a bolt of sensation all the way down to his toes.

With a cockiness he felt was sometimes warranted, Dean turned and started to walk away. If that one teeny tiny action had done to her what it had done to him, he was positive she would be calling after him to do more any second now. When a few seconds passed and she hadn't run to him in desperation he figured maybe it had been even better for her and she was still in shock. But he wouldn't turn to look back, because chicks loved to chase after a guy who seemed indifferent.

He was maybe ten feet or so away from where he left Laney when suddenly it felt like he couldn't take another step. Finding it odd to say the least, Dean attempted to push forward again. One foot slid forward another inch, his whole body feeling like it was trying to wade through some thick liquid. Another inch forward and a sharp pain struck his chest like his heart was going to rip in two. In a panic, he turned back to the only person he knew was in the parking lot.

Laney stood still by her car, clutching her chest with both hands, obviously in similar pain. But when Dean moved back toward her the pain lessened until it was gone. Not knowing if it was maybe some sort of demon trap affecting both of them, he moved to Laney's side protectively. She had stopped holding her chest in pain and looked up at him. The pure rage etching her face had him moving a step back.

"You stupid bastard," she bellowed at him, pushing him backwards another half step. "I told you not to kiss me! Now we could be stuck like this forever!"


	2. Happy Hunting

"Explain this to me one more time. Because, honestly, this is really messed up."

Dean paced back and forth in front of Laney, who perched angry and silent on the edge of one of the beds in the hotel room. Sam sat at the table, his laptop having been abandoned when the girl and his brother had come raging through the door, yelling loudly at one another. He was listening intently, seemingly having been ignored, trying to figure out what exactly had happened without entering the fight.

"For the last time," Laney growled out, stopping Dean in his tracks and making Sam shudder a bit. "I was cursed by a witch. You probably don't believe in witches, but it's the truth. I'm not crazy!"

Dean's angry glare made Sam's mind up to jump in. "Miss…uh…"

"My name's Laney," she offered curtly, looking over at him as though she had been waiting for hi intrusion.

"Laney," Sam soothed. "I'm Sam. Now my brother and I—"

"You're brothers," she interrupted in surprise. She glanced at Dean, who had resumed pacing. Her head shook angrily as she turned her attention back to Sam.

"Yeah," Sam nodded, trying to sound as gentle as possible. "The two of us don't think you're crazy. We're Hunters. We know witches exist. In fact, we've met a few and they are definitely bad news."

"Hunters," she asked in confusion. "What the fuck are Hunters?"

The younger Winchester raised an eyebrow, confused that she would know of witches but not hunters. But it was Dean who stopped pacing long enough to answer. "We hunt what goes bump in the night."

Laney chortled incredulously. "Okay, Hellboy."

"What is that supposed to mean," Dean barked out.

"The comic book and movie," she answered as though he were dumb for not knowing. "When things go bump in the night, we bump back."

"Look," Sam interjected, pulling his chair a little closer. "Laney, you know witches are real. Well, so are demons, ghosts, vampires, werewolves and a whole lot of other evil things. We stop them. We wanna help you, but to do that we need to know what happened."

Laney looked at him suspiciously a moment, the revelation seeming to take some ire out of her. "Forgive me if I think you're more interested in helping your brother."

"It's your fault," Dean retorted. "If you hadn't've come on to me, we wouldn't be in this mess."

"I told you not to kiss me, asshat," Laney snarled, hackles raising again. "Didn't anyone ever teach you no means no? Or do you make it a habit of disrespecting women?"

"Oh I respect women," Dean shot back. "If you weren't a woman I would've punched you when you smacked me in the car."

The girl shot to her feet before Dean, leaning up menacingly because of their height difference. The older brother's eyes widened in shock as she glared into his face. "Bring it, pretty boy."

"Whoa whoa whoa," Sam shouted, standing to tower over the both of them as he pried them apart. "That's enough. Dean, would you just sit down."

When Dean complied, still grumbling in anger as his ass hit the opposite bed, Laney returned to where she had been seated. Sam in turn took his seat, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Laney, please, could you just explain this curse to us?"

She snorted slightly, folding her arms across her chest. "It's all that son-of-a-witch's fault."

"Huh," Sam asked, already lost.

With a sigh, Laney wiped a hand down her face, scooting back on the mattress so she could sit cross-legged on the bed. "I worked in an office a few years ago, right after college. We had a New Year's Eve party. Everyone was pretty drunk of course. When the ball was about to drop, Zach, one of my coworkers asked if he could have the New Year's Kiss. I didn't know him that well, but I figured a little festive kiss would be harmless. Boy, was I wrong."

Sam caught his brother shift uncomfortably before Laney continued. "I guess he became a little obsessed with me after that. I dunno, he would follow me around, show up at the bar when I went out with my friends. Sometimes I'd even catch him waiting for me outside the bathroom at work. Really creepy. I tried avoiding him at first, but he was persistent. Finally, I couldn't take it any more. I tried to break it to him gently, to tell him it had just been a little kiss and I wasn't interested in him like that. But he went home crying to his momma, talk about an Oedipal Complex."

"She was a witch," Sam stated, understanding where the story was going.

"Yeah," the girl nodded. "And she was royally pissed that I'd broken her son's heart. I tried explaining it was just a misunderstanding, but she wouldn't listen. She cursed me, told me that if I ever again made the mistake of kissing a man I had no feelings for I would truly be stuck with him for the rest of my life. And that if we tried to leave each other we would know what heartbreak really felt like."

The younger brother looked back and forth between the two on some separate beds before resting his eyes back on Laney. "And my stupid brother went and stole a kiss."

"Hey," Dean shouted. "Whose side are you on, Sammy?"

"Oh come on, Dean. If she said no you should've listened," Sam retorted.

Dean huffed, locking eyes with Laney. "How did you manage to lose the other guys that have kissed you?"

"You may find this hard to believe, Dean," she replied, rolling her eyes. "But I went all this time without being kissed until you showed up."

"Oh," the older brother responded, a lot of his previous anger having trickled away. "Wow, that's gotta suck."

"Tell me about it," Laney quipped, falling backwards on the bed.

"We'll figure something out," Sam assured. "Just gotta do a little research."

Laney leaned up on her elbows. "Research? If you don't think I've been doing research these last few years then you're nuts."

"What did you find," Dean asked expectantly.

"That witches are mean bitches," she answered. "And disgusting."

Dean nodded with a grimace. "Tell me about it."

"You've been tracking down witches," Sam interjected.

"No," Laney shook her head, sitting up once more. "I've just been learning all I can. As far as I knew she was the only real witch in the world. Guess I was wrong."

"Well, Sammy here's a genius. He'll figure this out," Dean stated matter-of-factly, before looking over at his brother. "Right, Sammy."

"Yeah," Sam nodded, though he looked a little concerned. "But it's gonna take time, Dean. You know we're on a hunt right now."

"Fuck," the older brother grumbled, slapping his hands on his face before running his fingers through his hair. "How are we supposed to do this when I can't get 10 ft away from her?"

Sam shrugged. "I guess we're gonna have to take her with us."

"No way is that happening," Dean shouted, surging to his feet.

"What choice do we have, Dean," the younger brother shot back. "We're going up against a killer giant! It'll probably take both of us to take it down."

"Killer giant," Laney spat out, interrupting the two men.

The look of fear on her face was evident and somewhat startling when Sam looked over at her. With a chagrinned voice he replied "You know those strange killings that have been in the local news lately? Well, we think it's a Vipunen. They're subterranean giants from Finnish folklore. It's said they can sleep for ages, but when they're awakened they eat human heads to gain knowledge. The only way to kill it is to drive a weapon through its head while it's laying in its resting place."

"Yeah," Dean added, almost as an afterthought. "But we just got here and haven't figured out where that is yet."

"Finnish subterranean giants," Laney mumbled to herself, her head starting to ache a little bit. She had heard on the news about those grisly deaths. One by one, headless bodies of local people had been turning up like clockwork. One or two a week since… "The bottling plant."

"What," Dean and Sam both asked in unison, eyes locking onto hers.

"The bottling plant," she repeated, glancing between both of them. They were oblivious, which caused her no small amount of frustration. "A construction company broke ground for the bottling plant a couple months ago. That's when the killings started. Maybe the construction woke it up."

Dean shook his head slightly. "Then why haven't they found any dead construction workers?"

"I dunno," Laney shrugged in agitation.

"No, it makes sense, Dean," Sam nodded, going back to his computer. "If it eats the ones who woke it up then it's easier for people to trace where it came from. It feeds on brains, maybe that made it a little smarter than we figured."

"Perfect," the older brother grunted, moving to follow. "Let's just hope it's not smart enough to see us coming."

Laney's chest tightened as Dean took a step too far. Clutching her chest as the burning, tearing feeling started to smother her, she let out a choked cry of pain before throwing herself forward. Dean's hands were pressed against the small kitchen table, his lungs gasping for breath as he turned back to look at her. Their eyes met over the distance as Sam sighed "Well, this is going to be interesting."

\---

Laney sat silently in the back of the Impala, and while she admired the handiwork of the interior, she was none too thrilled with where she was headed. After revealing where she thought this giant might be, the brothers quickly wrangled her into the car. As much as she wanted to protest, she knew there wasn't much she could do about it. She had to admit, albeit sourly, to herself that Dean was just plain physically stronger than she was. Besides, saving peoples' lives was more important than sulking about a curse. She just hoped she could stay out of the way.

And at least Dean was listening to good music on the ride over, Led Zeppelin blaring through the speakers. She caught Dean smiling and singing along in the rear view mirror. When he saw her watching, he cleared his throat and his face became all business. Laney couldn't help but smirk a little at that as she started singing along to herself.

After parking just outside the construction area, she followed Sam and Dean to the back of the car. Her eyes widened in surprise as Dean opened the trunk, pulling up a false bottom to reveal a whole slew of different weapons. Guns, knives, wooden stakes, various bottles of unknown liquids; it hadn't registered until then just how dangerous the men could be. Honestly, she had figured Dean for the type who couldn't figure his way out of a paper bag. She really needed to stop assuming so damn much.

"Don't I get something," she asked, realizing that Dean was closing the trunk without giving her a weapon.

"Yeah, some advice," the older brother nodded. "Stay behind me."

Laney huffed angrily. "Are you serious? There is a monster in there and you expect me to just stand around hoping you can save the day?"

Sam had already started ahead, obviously not wanting to get in the middle of the argument. Dean was about to follow before stopping to look back at the girl. "We're pretty damn good at what we do. Now get a move on. I don't need you holding me back."

With a growl, Laney followed close behind. The trio picked their way through the construction site, eventually finding their way to a set of stairs leading down. The men pulled out flashlights, cutting back and forth through the darkness. And Laney felt aptly helpless as she carefully picked her way down the stairs behind them. Opaque plastic sheeting hung in place of doors on the half-made walls. Through one off-white curtain, they saw large unfinished room, waiting to be cemented. There was a hole in the ground, at least ten foot long and 5 feet wide. The two men edged closer to the opening in the floor, peering in.

"Damn," Dean snapped. "It's empty."

There was a rustling of plastic behind Laney and she turned just in time to see a huge creature squeeze through the doorway. It had to be 8 or 9 feet tall, wide set, vaguely human though its torso was covered in a matting of blood and fur. It howled in anger, almost making Laney want to piss herself. But the men had moved beside her, Sam stepping a bit forward to take a shot at the thing. The bullet tore through its shoulder, but that only seemed to make it matter.

When it reached forward, grabbing the taller man by the shirt, Dean let out an almost feral cry. "Sam!"

Laney spun behind him as he raised his shotgun, blasting the monster in the side. With a howl, it threw the younger man and quickly snatched up Dean with enough force send his weapon clattering. It hefted him high before tossing him against the wall. The force of it sent the older brother's back through some of the drywall. The Vipunen was upon him quickly, raising him again as it opened its mouth impossibly wide. Laney, left alone and seemingly forgotten wasn't sure what to do. Terrified, she looked around frantically. Dean's shotgun was too far away, the closest thing was a small stack of rebar near the wall.

As the creature reared back to take a bite out of a semi-conscious Dean, Laney grabbed a piece of the rebar and smacked it hard across the Vipunen's head. The impact jarred the monster a bit. It dropped Dean to the ground, grabbing its head with a quick shake. She was about to take another swing when it turned on her with unnatural speed. It took a menacing step, then another, backing her towards the opening in the floor. She was scared and acutely aware that each step was taking her further away from Dean and closer to heart failure. At least maybe that would kill her before her head was bitten off.

The older Winchester stirred a bit, unbeknownst to the creature. Laney couldn't help her yelp of "Dean!"

The monster turned, seeming to expect the hunter to be up and prepared for a fight. It was just enough of a distraction that Laney hit the floor, scrabbling between its wide-stanced legs. When it realized the man was still no threat, it went to turn back to the woman only to find her gone. Laney had rolled onto her back and kicked the creature hard in the hips, sending it toppling forward. Off balance, it fell toward the pit, hitting its head on the cement wall before crumpling into the hole. When it didn't move for a few moments, Laney shot over to Dean. She tried smacking his face to bring him around quicker, but it was taking too long and she didn't want to waste any time.

Grabbing his legs, she pulled the man over to the opening in the ground. When she went back to grab the rebar she noticed with relief that Sam was starting to get up from his spot on the floor, holding his head in both his hands. Dean was starting to sit up, shaking off his own pain, when Laney came back around to the pit. She hefted the rebar over the giant's head, about to strike down. But before she could do anything, it turned quickly in the hole, lashing out and grabbing her leg firmly. She noticed Dean jump back and expected to be dragged down. Nothing happened though, except for the creature to open its mouth slightly.

"You have bested me," it ground out, voice labored in a throat barely meant for speech. "Before you give the final blow, have this knowledge. And know that you will never be free without sacrifice."

Laney's vision started to cloud. It felt like it was trying to get into her brain. She fought against the felt, trying to shake it off. A heartbeat later, the giant's hand fell away and she plunged the rebar into its skull, pinning it to the earth. The thing's body spasmed a few times before finally lying still and it seemed to start disintegrating into the ground. After a moment, Laney finally let go of the metal, noticing the curved indents left in her skin.

Dean had pushed to his feet then, though he was still leaned over panting from the pain of his earlier impact. "Alright. Great teamwork."

When he raised his hand for a high five, Laney crossed her arm with a slightly angry huff. He looked up at her and tried to straighten himself, his back giving a sickening series of pops before he let out a contented sigh. "Much better."

"Maybe next time you'll give me some sort of weapon," Laney ventured, arms still crossed as Sam made his way over. He clutched the back of his head, rubbing it gingerly as he peered into the open pit.

"Wow, Laney," he sputtered out. "Nice work."

"Boys," she shook her head, letting her arms fall to her sides weakly. "I'm just ready for this night to be over."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: The Vipunen is taken from Antero Vipunen from Finnish folklore who is slightly different from what I've put in the story. But Supernatural isn't always known for getting it's myths entirely straight, so I took the liberty.
> 
> ~Sithy


	3. Bonding Over the Breakfast Table

Dean sat across the diner table from Laney. Her fingers drummed a somewhat familiar beat against the formica as she gazed over the menu. There was dirt smeared on her face and he was sure he had drywall dust all along his back. But the trio had decided on breakfast before bed. Or more aptly, the girl had decided on breakfast as they drove back from their finished hunt. She offered to pay, so hyped up on adrenaline from her first kill. Despite his and Sam's misgivings, Dean went ahead and pulled over, his stomach beginning to rumble as well. Luckily the place was practically dead that early in the morning, the hours just before dawn.

The sudden silence had the older Winchester looking up from his own menu. Laney had stopped fidgeting, her eyes staring out the window at the first streak of light over the horizon. For a second, he forgot about their predicament and couldn't help thinking what a looker she was. And clever. It had surprised him how quick-witted she had been that night, practically saving him and his brother's asses. She was definitely the type he could get used to. Someone he wouldn't always have to be worrying about.

"Dean," she asked curtly.

He blinked, clearing his throat to hide his surprise. "Yeah?"

"I've been talking to you for the last minute or two."

"Sorry," he smiled apologetically. "Guess I'm still a little shell shocked from earlier."

She rolled her eyes and his smile faded. So much for being nice. Laney leaned in conspiratorially, her intense eye contact sending a shiver down his spine. "That thing… the Vipunen, it said something to me before I killed it."

"It talked to you?"

The sound of Sam's voice startled Dean. He hadn't known his brother had come back from the bathroom. The taller man slid into the booth beside him, eyes intent on the girl across from them. "What did it say?"

"Well, it grabbed my leg and I thought it would pull me in with it," she answered, her vision far as she remembered. "It said I had bested it and that it wanted to give me knowledge before I gave the final blow."

"And," Sam urged her to continue.

Laney looked up at him "It said something about not being free until I know sacrifice."

Dean shook his head in confusion. "What does that even mean?"

"How am I supposed to know," she grumbled. "Until last night I didn't even know half of this shit existed."

"There were several legends about the Vipunen. One of them did say they would impart wisdom to whoever could kill one," Sam offered Laney for reassurance.

She just crunched her nose in distaste. "Well I didn't ask for it's cryptic bullshit. Why wouldn't it just give me real answers if it wanted me to know something?"

Dean raised his chin with a smile, letting the other two know the waitress was coming over. When the middle-aged woman stopped at their table she gave them a great motherly smile. "You kids ready to order?"

"Oh, yes ma'am," Laney grinned up at her. Dean couldn't help his shock at what came out of that lovely mouth next. "I'll have 2 eggs, over easy, with bacon. Also some hashbrowns, no onions, and whole-wheat toast. Oh, and some chocolate chip pancakes, please."

"My, you must be hungry, dear," the older woman chuckled, taking up the menu.

Laney's dark eyes narrowed in puzzlement. "Yeah, I really am."

"And for you, dear," the waitress tilted her pencil towards Dean.

He gave her a winning smile. "I think I'll have what she's having."

The woman beamed. "Oh goodness, two big eaters. Well, we have plenty back there. How about you, sweetie?"

Sam gave her a half-hearted smirk. "I'll just take some oatmeal with cinnamon and honey. Some fresh fruit, too."

The waitress jotted it all down and assured them it would be out soon. The trio thanked her and waited until she was out of earshot to continue their conversation.

"So, what it said didn't make any sense to you at all," Sam ventured hopefully.

"Not a lick," Laney shook her head vehemently.

"Perfect," Dean blurted out. "Maybe it could've told us how to get out of this mess we're in and you went and killed it."

The look Laney gave him actually succeeded in making him feel a tad on the slow side. "Are you fucking kidding me? First off, Sammy here didn't tell us about the whole gift of knowledge thing. Second of all, I did what I had to to save your ass, buddy. God knows what would've happened to me if I let the thing eat you. Which, might I add, I had a mind to let it do just that."

Dean narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, you're a real winner. No wonder you didn't have to worry about anyone else kissing you."

He felt a sharp kick to his shin, painful enough he almost cried out. Almost, but he was tougher than that and bit it back while slamming a fist on the table. "You are so lucky you're a girl."

"And you're lucky I don't kick your ass," she replied through gritted teeth. "But I don't wanna have to carry you around to avoid heart failure."

"Enough guys," Sam finally verbally stepping in. "Dean, there's no way Laney could've known the Vipunen would do that. And Laney, Dean's an asshole, don't let him get to you."

"You're the asshole," Dean muttered under his breath.

The younger brother shook his head in aggravation before turning his eyes back to the girl. "Besides, what you have is at least something to start with. And since the hunts over I can take time this afternoon and see what I can find out about separating you two."

"Please do," Laney said a bit harshly. "It hasn't even been a day and I'm already over it."

"Likewise," Dean retorted.

This statement garnered another eye roll from the tallest of the group. "Laney, did you live in this town when you were cursed? Have you ever seen the guy again?"

"No to both," she replied. "Do you think I was gonna stay in a town where I knew a vengeful witch lived? No thank you."

"Did you ever try going back and, I dunno, apologizing?"

Dean's look of utter astonishment at his brother matched Laney's. He thought the idea was so dumb he didn't even let the girl respond. "When have you ever known a witch to go back on something like that?"

The younger brother's mouth opened up to respond, but when nothing came out he gave up his futile attempt. "Okay, you have a point. Maybe we could find another witch-"

"No way," Laney shook her head. "One witch is bad enough. I don't need to be worrying about two."

"What she said," Dean nodded, hitching a thumb at the girl.

Sam heaved a great sigh before tilting his chin up, indicating the waitress was returning. Dean saw Laney's face light up, which had a bit of a smile etching his. The older woman distributed the food quickly with a few niceties before scampering off to help a few other customers who had walked in. The older Winchester half expected the conversation to resume but to his surprise Laney picked up her fork and began demolishing her plate of food. He was actually kind of impressed.

She was halfway through her stack of pancakes, having scarfed down the bacon and hash browns with only some egg yolk left that she was sopping up with the toast before she slowed down. A look of confusion marred her face as she looked up at the brothers. "Wow, I… I don't normally eat like this. Normally I just pick at my food like him."

Dean followed where she pointed the end of her fork, directly down at his plate. She was right, he'd barely touched his food. Hell, there was even bacon leftover. He looked up at her with a matching expression. "Guess I just wasn't all that hungry."

But Laney had gone back to stuffing her face, her cheeks puffed out with pancake as she asked around a mouthful "You gonna eat that bacon?"

Shaking his head, Dean pushed his plate toward the girl. He noticed Sam's shocked look and shrugged a shoulder. Laney finished everything and chugged her glass of milk, ending it with a refreshed sigh and licking the excess off her upper lip. She offered the brothers a big smile, which made some of the tension in Dean's shoulders subside.

"I think I'm full," Laney announced brightly, giggling when she gave a little burp. Then she leaned towards them. "But I have a feeling I'm gonna be hungry later. Wanna get a pie?"

It was Dean's turn to brighten. "Oh hell, yeah!"

But he realized his response was misconstrued when the girl scrunched her face at him. "Perv."

"Hey, I like good ole fashioned pie," Dean retorted. "Hell, sometimes it's even better than sex."

"In your case, I'm sure it is," she replied with a raised eyebrow.

Narrowing his eyes, with a sarcastic chuckle. "Oh, that's low."

She gave him an equally sarcastic grin. "Like your testosterone level, pretty boy?"

The older brother fumed a moment, firmly planting his elbow on the table to point at the girl. "You're a bitch and I don't like you."

"Really," she asked, feigning innocence. "Because that is word-for-word what I was about to say to you."

Sam started to chuckle, but with a scary unison the bickering duo turned their eyes to him with "Shut up, Sam."

The strange outburst stunned him a bit, his shock deepening when they turned back to glare at each other in the same perfect unison. "Okay, this is getting weird. First Dean doesn't finish his food. Now the two of you are like synchronized. Maybe we should go back to the hotel and get some sleep."

The other two agreed, Dean reaching into his pocket to produce a tip. He paused for a second before placing it on the table. Now usually if someone else paid the tab he'd let them take care of the tip. But he didn't see the harm in being a little generous just this once. After all, even if he hadn't eaten everything, he had ordered quite a bit of food. Plus, Sammy wasn't really her responsibility no matter how kind she was to offer to pay. He was rewarded when Laney, who had pulled out her debit card to give the waitress, gave him a begrudged look before saying "Thank you."


	4. Carry On

It was singing that brought Dean out of his sleep. The voice was soft, muted, almost as though it should be dragging him further down, like a lullaby. But his brain latched onto the noise, bringing his mind to sharp focus though his eyes remained closed. He suddenly registered it as Laney's voice and thought fleetingly that maybe she was trying not to wake him.

Once I rose above the noise and confusion

Just to get a glimpse beyond this illusion

I was soaring ever higher

But I flew too high

There was a pause and Dean ventured to open his eyes. What he saw caused his heart to skip just a little beat. Laney lay belly down on the motel bed across from him, head pointed toward the foot of the mattress. Her crossed ankles arched over her back, socked feet moving languidly back and forth. Bare legs that looked smooth as silk showed the tightening and relaxing of muscles with the movement, leading all the way up to black boy shorts with just the barest hint of curvy flesh peeking out of the bottom. His eyes followed the line of her clothed back, ending in a mass of dark, disheveled bed hair. She was propped up on her forearms, flipping through some magazine. Once she pulled the clean looking plastic spoon out of her mouth, the song continued just as soft as before.

Though my eyes could see

I still was a blind man

Though my mind could think

I still was a mad man

I hear the voices when I'm dreaming

I can hear them say

Carry on my wayward son

There'll be peace when you are done

Lay your weary head to rest

Don't you cry no more

Dean watched her shift slightly, humming the guitar break. After a moment she was bringing a spoonful of chocolate cream pie up to her lips. She licked it slowly and if it had been anyone else he would have thought it was a gesture meant to tease him. Something a woman would do to seduce just about any man. But considering earlier that day she had insisted on not sharing a bed with either brother, railed vehemently against it, Dean was sure seduction was not what she was doing. He had been disgracefully forced to bunk with Sam, who he assumed was the one in the shower judging by the sound from the bathroom.

Masquerading as a man with a reason

My charade is the event of the season

And if I claim to be a wise man

Well, that surely means that I don't know

On the stormy sea of moving emotion

Tossed about I'm like a ship on the ocean

I set a course for winds of fortune

But I hear the voices say

As she launched into the chorus again, he realized it was the beat she had been drumming in the diner. She'd also been humming the song absently from the back of his Impala on the drive back to the motel. It wasn't a terrible song by any means in his opinion, and she was rather good at the whole singing thing, but he'd hate to have it stuck in his head playing over and over. She took another admittedly tantalizing bite of chocolate, flipped another page, again humming the guitar break, never missing a beat.

Carry on

You will always remember

Carry on

Nothing equals the splendor

Now your life's no longer empty

Surely Heaven waits for you

It struck Dean then that he had never really listened to the words of the song before. He'd never cared what they meant, having only focused on the awesome guitar riffs. But now as he thought about them he was filled with a strange sense of emptiness. A part of him wanted those words she sang to be about him, like she was really assuring him that in the end everything would be okay. But his thoughts were disrupted by the feeling of a bedspring sticking into his ribcage. Unconsciously, he shifted his weight to alleviate the discomfort. The sound drew Laney's attention and she glanced over her shoulder in his direction. Though their eyes met briefly, she started to turn back to what she was doing. Her double take brought a small smile to his lips which broadened when her cheeks practically exploded in a bright red, the white plastic spoon stuck halfway in her mouth.

She seemed to regain herself as he sat up, her brow furrowing in anger. "What are you staring at?"

Her face turned away from him for a moment while she twisted into a sitting position, legs folded beneath her on the mattress. Dean could finally see the plate that had been hidden behind her, half a slice of pie still waiting. "I was just listening to you sing."

"I've had that song stuck in my head all day," she sighed in annoyance, pulling the plate over to her lap.

"I know," he nodded, stretching out his tired muscles. When he had returned to a relaxed state, he added "You know, you're a pretty good singer."

"You already tried that line, Dean," Laney retorted around a mouthful. Though he knew he was the worst offender, it usually bothered him when others talked while chewing. But for some reason, with one cheek puffed out like a chipmunk, he thought it was kind of cute on her.

"Right," he chuckled lightly, then added with a touch of sarcasm "Because if a guy compliments a girl, he's trying to get in her pants."

He paused a moment, wondering why he had said that sarcastically. It was actually pretty true, usually, but this time he had given the compliment because it was deserved. Something was definitely wrong with him. Some of the ire seemed to leave Laney though, her face taking on a soft quality, somewhat sheepish as she finished her bite of food.

"Sorry," she mumbled just loud enough to hear. "Thank you."

Reaching over, she grabbed the magazine she had been flipping through, handing it to him. It was one of his Busty Asian Beauty issues. When he raised an eyebrow at her, she shrugged. "I read the articles."

"There's articles in this?," he asked astonished, flipping through the pages to find words.

Laney's giggle drew his attention back to her. It was sweet sounding and he had to admit he liked it. Liked it a whole lot better than when she was yelling at him. And it was a little infectious, causing him to grin. Just then the bathroom door opened and Dean glanced up to see his brother exiting the steamy room, shirtless, drying his hair with a towel. Looking back to Laney, he was more than a little disturbed to find her staring at his youngest brother with a smirk.

"So, my well-built wunderkind," she began in a mock German accent, her smile broadening. "Did a nice steamy shower spark any ideas on how to fix our little situation?"

"No," Sam responded, glancing at his brother in confusion.

Dean shook his head with a shrug as the younger brother plopped down on the bed beside him, pulling a shirt on. Laney's face and shoulders fell a bit but he couldn't tell if it was Sam's negative answer or because Sam's chest was no longer visible. The latter reason almost made him want to shudder in disgust.

"Oh well," she sighed before stretching her arms above her head and falling backwards onto the mattress.

The brothers shared a look before Sam hopped up, moving to his laptop. "But, I think there's a metaphysical shop a few towns over. I might go check it out."

"Yeah, I've been there," Laney agreed, rolling over. "Had some books there in some language I couldn't read. With my luck, those would be the ones to help."

Sam returned his attention to his computer, typing in a few things before closing it and grabbing his jacket. "Dean, keys."

"You are not leaving me here with her," the older brother grumbled, eliciting a huff of annoyance from Laney.

"Dean, you hate metaphysical shops," Sam countered.

"So? Better than being stuck in a room with her."

"Ain't a cakewalk for me either, princess," was Laney's terse response. "But your brother has a point. Can't be easy to translate that mumbo-jumbo with us at each other's throats. So, why don't you sit down, shut up, and give your brother the damn keys."

Dean grumbled angrily before reaching for the bedstand and shoving the keys into his brother's waiting hand. "One scratch and I'm kicking your ass."

"Likewise," Laney agreed, sitting up once again.

Sam started to say something, but thought better of it, shaking his head as he grabbed his laptop and headed for the door. Dean sat on the edge of the bed, glaring at the girl across from him. She moved to the edge of her mattress, planting her feet on the ground to return his expression. There was silence for several moments, neither spoke or moved, until even Dean thought it was fairly childish,

"Were you hitting on Sam," he finally spoke, hoping it would throw her off just a little.

"No," she shot back, but then looked confused momentarily. "Maybe. Why? Were you jealous?"

"Doubt it," he smirked cruelly, but finally had that shudder. "But the idea of someone hitting on him? That's unsettling."

Laney frowned. "That is a terrible thing to say about your brother."

"Hey, some chicks may dig that lanky, giant, emotional crap," Dean shrugged. "But that doesn't mean I need to know about it."

"Hey, he's pretty good lookin' in a shaggy sorta way. You on the other hand," the girl smirked, wagging her finger at him. "You're just too damn pretty. Probably have the ladies falling all over you with that cocky smile and confidant air. That nice ass of yours probably doesn't hurt either. Yep, you rarely go home alone, do ya?"

Dean gave the aforementioned smile, though his cheeks did feel a little hot. "What can I say? Women love me."

"Most women," Laney snorted with amusement as she fell back on the bed again. His eyes scanned up from where her toes brushed the carpet to where her midriff showed over the elastic of her underwear. He didn't mind the view, but his stomach growled loudly.

"Put some pants on," he ordered, annoyed, as he stood to shove his phone in his pocket.

"Why," she asked, moving up to her elbows with another small smirk. "Are my bare legs distracting you, Dean?"

"Yeah, from food," he shot back impatiently. "There's a fast food place within walking distance, but obviously I can't go by myself."

She bounced onto her feet, bending over to pull on her jeans. Dean couldn't help himself, watching as the denim slid up over her bare skin. When she turned to look at him, he knew he was grinning. And from the look on her face, he knew he was lucky she didn't slap him.

\---

The walk to the restaurant was quiet, no conversation. The streets seemed pretty empty for late afternoon, though that was probably due to the dark clouds rolling in. But it was dry when Dean pulled the door open to let Laney enter. Her look of surprise was enough to keep him from questioning his sudden strange urge to act the gentleman. Maybe it was just because she had pegged him as a jerk and he just had to prove her wrong. He even went ahead and bought both their meals, bacon double cheeseburgers and fries, grabbing the tray and leading her to one of the booths.

Because there was nothing else to do, they chatted. It was different than the small talk from the bar the night before, a tad more personal maybe, and it made Dean chuckle to think it was a lot like they were on a date. He found out that she worked part-time as a school librarian, but since summer break had just started she had a few weeks off until summer school began. She found out that he and his brother had been hunting since they were young, though Dean glossed over the details of why. It just didn't seem the place to mention it.

Meals finished, they were just cleaning off their table when the downpour started. Laney let out a sigh of frustration as they stood just inside the glass doors. Dean could tell she was already chilled by the drastic drop in temperature, her hands running up and down her bare arms below her t-shirt sleeves. Without a second thought, he shrugged his coat off, handing it to her as he pulled the sleeves down on his over shirt. She pulled it on quickly, seeming to relax once inside its warmth. And Dean vaguely noted that it didn't even seem too awkward when they clasped hands, fingers entwined, before running out into the rain.


	5. Whiskey Makes Ya Frisky

The chocolate cream pie was better than Dean had expected, considering he was a fruit pie kinda guy. He had decided on some dessert as he waited for Laney to get out of the shower. The rain had soaked them completely, the girl seemingly chilled to the bone. She opted for a hot shower, and given their situation, Dean had moved the table and chairs closer to the bathroom door. That way he could at least sit while she took forever.

He was almost through with his slice when his phone rang. Barely glancing at the display, Dean flipped the cover up. "Yeah, Sam?"

"Hey, Dean," his brother answered, voice slightly distorted. "Just checkin' in. Found the place and the books Laney was talking about. I can decipher them, but it's slow going. You two haven't killed each other yet?"

"Not quite," the older Winchester replied. "Anything so far?"

He could almost hear Sam fidget as he said "No, not really. But there's plenty of time before the place closes."

Dean sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Okay, well, keep me updated."

"Yeah, will do," his brother agreed, ending the conversation.

His fingers were still clamped to his nose, as though trying to thwart a headache when he heard the shower being turned off. Finally. He was about to go back to his pie when he heard Laney through the door. "Oh shit!"

There was fear in her voice and it had Dean up on his feet and through the door in an instant. The girl was half cowering in the tub, shower curtain pulled around her, with a finger pointing to the opposite wall. He turned to look, prepared to fight… a spider. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Just kill it, Dean, please," she practically shrieked, and he could tell her fear was real.

Letting a sigh out through his nose and gritting his teeth, he pulled his shoe off, taking great care to squish the spider in one fell swoop. He was no tree-huggin' hippie, but he still figured he'd be humane about it. When it was clearly dead, he turned to present the bottom of his shoe to Laney. "There. Happy?"

"Ew! Get it away from me," she snapped, pulling away impossibly further.

"It's dead," he countered, using some toilet paper to wipe off spider guts before slipping his shoe back on. "You mean to tell me you've gone up against a witch and a giant monster, but you're terrified of a little spider? That's just pathetic."

"Fuck you, Dean," Laney shouted, letting the shower curtain fall away from her. She stood there angry and defiant and all Dean could do was stare at her naked form, rivulets of water still moving down bare skin from her wet hair. "You're an asshole! You better hope I never find out you have a phobia or so help me God you will never hear the end of it."

He opened his mouth to speak, to say something to soothe her anger, but all that came out through his smirk was "You're naked."

Laney looked down at herself, her cheeks turning red again. Dean thought she would reach for the shower curtain again, but instead she crossed her arms over her stomach, pressing her breasts together and making his stomach do a flip, as she growled. "Get out."

He did as ordered, pulling the door closed behind him. As he sat back down to finish his pie, he realized he was not going to get the image of her naked out of his head anytime soon. So, if it was stuck there, why not fantasize just a little bit. It was short lived though, Laney emerging from the bathroom shortly afterwards, wrapped in one of the towels. She glared at him, but he acted like he didn't see it, instead brushing into the bathroom and shutting the door. Dean ran his shower a little cooler than he normally would, scrubbing down as quickly as he could. Of course, he did take a little extra care with certain areas. When he got out, he had to move aside some of the clothes Laney had set across the vanity to dry. He just threw his over the shower curtain before slipping on his boxer briefs and grabbing the two glasses near the bathroom sinks.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he saw Laney lounging in the chair he had previously sat on. She was licking chocolate cream off her finger, no doubt stolen from his unfinished piece. Her skin visibly flushed when she looked up at him, giving Dean a bit of a triumphant feeling. Motioning for her to follow, he carried the two glasses over to the beds. He sat, placing the glasses on the bedside table before looking up at her. "Sit."

She stood there, eyes narrowed, weight shifting to one hip, and he was honestly surprised she had followed in the first place. So, he ventured a "Please?"

With a small huff, she perched on the edge of the mattress beside him. He shook his head with an amused smirk before bending down to pull out his duffel bag. Hidden away behind a flask of holy water and a few knives was the bottle he sought. It was full of whiskey, good whiskey, not just some rot gut. He always made sure he had a bottle, just in case, and now seemed as good a time as any to use it.

"Figured given our situation," he began, pouring a good amount into both glasses. "We could both use a drink."

"God, yes," Laney agreed with a sigh, taking the glass when he offered it.

"Cheers," he said with a slight smile, clinking his glass with hers.

He expected her to sip her drink since it was much more than a shot, but she downed it in one go. Her body shuddered in pleasure and he couldn't hold back a soft chuckle when she held the glass out to him. "I promise to savor the next one."

\---

The bottle barely had a mouthful left in it as Dean grabbed it to pour Laney a little more. He was reveling in the warm, fuzzy buzz and the way the girl next to him was giggling as he told her stories of his exploits.

"You mean to tell me," she stuttered out through a peal of laughter. "That the girl's parents turned out to be zombies?"

"That she had raised from the dead," Dean chuckled with a nod. "Yep. And to tell you the truth, I was more scared when I thought they were just her parents."

Laney drained her glass, still giggling. "That's some weird sitcom style shit right there."

"Yeah, life's been all strange coincidences and no need to use the bathroom," he quipped, swallowing down the last bit of whiskey.

"You've had a rough life, Dean," the girl stated, reaching over him to put her glass beside his.

He raised an eyebrow at her. "What makes you think that?"

"I've seen kids a bit like you before. I can tell," she answered, putting a hand on his forearm. "You've had it rough and I won't ask ya to spill your guts to me or nothin', but you… you should know you're a good guy. Sure, you hustle pool and make fake identities, but you save peoples' lives. That's gotta outweigh all the bullshit."

Dean looked down into her dark eyes and realized he wasn't the only one who was tipsy. Maybe her words had been heartfelt, or maybe they were just the whiskey talking, but they meant a lot to him. But he didn't want to think about rough times or monsters or anything similar at that moment. At that moment, he really just wanted to be a drunk guy with a pretty girl who was leaning incredibly close with nothing covering her but a towel.

"Kids like me, huh," he smirked. "Boy, I could've used a sexy librarian like you when I was going through high school."

"Sexy librarian," she clucked her tongue while rolling her eyes. "You wish."

The urge to touch her overtook him then, and Dean found himself reaching out to brush damp hair back behind her shoulder before his palm anchored itself against her jaw line. Her eyes flashed up to his and he could've sworn her skin was trembling beneath his touch. "Dean, kissing is what got us in this fine mess in the first place."

"Right," he nodded, leaning just a little closer. "Another one couldn't do any more harm."

She didn't protest, though maybe he didn't give her enough time to, so he pressed his lips over hers. It took a few moments for Laney to react, but when she did it damn near took Dean's breath away. She kissed him ravenously, nibbling his lips as she pushed him back against the bed. He swung his feet up to the mattress, returning the rough kisses as her bare thighs slid around his waist. A groan escaped him when her teeth gently clamped onto the pulse point at his throat. The soft purr that left her when he nibbled down her neck had him pulling the towel off of her.

His lower lip was firmly stuck between her teeth before she let it go with a loud pop, a devilish smirk on her face as she reached down to the floor beside the bed. His brain didn't even to think to wonder how she knew where he kept his condoms, but he grabbed a loose fistful of hair and pulled her back for another hot, searing kiss. Her mouth still tasted of whiskey, sweet and smoky, as her hands slid down this body, tugging at his waistband. Her body hovered just above his and she sighed and arched her back as his lips moved down to a nipple.

"God, Laney, you're so hot," he whispered, digging his fingers into each soft hip, trying to urge her onto him.

"Shut up, Dean," she breathed with a throaty chuckle as she slid down around him.

She rode him hard, nails biting into the skin on his chest and abdomen. But Dean wasn't complaining. Laney had been wet and ready for him, no doubt from all the whiskey, and it made him want her even more. One of his hands found its way between their bodies and with just the right angle and pressure he could make her moan loudly, hips bucking wild. It wasn't long before she hit her peak, crying out in pleasure. Without a moment's hesitation, he pulled her to his chest, rolling both of their bodies so that he was above her. He buried himself deep inside her over and over again, her nails scratching down his back. That sensation coupled with her tightened muscles sent him over the edge.

Taking a moment to control his breathing, Dean leaned back to look down at her. Laney's eyes were a bit glossed over; face soft with the barest hint of a smirk on her lips. He couldn't help his grin of satisfaction as he rolled away to give them both room to breathe. As his body started to cool down from the exertion, he turned to look at the girl again. She had done the same, rolled onto her side facing away from him, chest rising and falling with her slow breathing. He realized she was dozing off, even as he heard her humming that song again. His limbs and eyelids were starting to feel heavy as well and with his last bit of strength he pulled the blanket up over the both of them.


	6. Morning After Blues

As a general rule, Dean did not wake up next to women. It's not that it had never happened before, but normally either he or the girl would be gone before it got as far as sleeping. So there was a split second of shock when he woke up with his arms wrapped around a soft, naked body. It dissipated when the memories from the night before returned. He opened his eyes, feeling wisps of silky hair across his face. A mass of dark locks dominated his view, but he could tell it was morning, fairly early. They must have slept for quite some time.

Dean started to move a little, just to see if Sammy had made it back, but Laney made a kittenish sound of protest, pressing herself back against him. The feel of her warm skin sliding against his body was too enticing at that moment as she wiggled to conform to his new position. He smiled and it surprised him when he thought he could get used to something like that; the smell of her hair filling his nostrils, her body snuggled into him for warmth. Moving some tresses out of the way, he nuzzled his mouth into the crook of her neck. His fingers moved delicately, barely grazing down her arm, waist, thigh, as he replayed in his head the way she had moved against him the night before.

The doorknob jiggled at the entrance to the motel room and Dean's thoughts clicked into place. It had been the sound of the Impala's engine that woke him up. Sam was walking through the door, one handing holding a loaded drink carrier, the other with a grease stained brown paper bag. "Damn it, Dean. I tried calling you twenty times last night. The rain was too heavy to drive in so I parked under…"

The younger man stopped abruptly, obviously realizing the situation before him. Dean managed to untangle himself from Laney to sit up and offer his brother a sheepish grin. "Hey, Sammy."

"Are you serious," Sam asked rather loudly, making Dean cringe. He hadn't realized his head was starting to ache.

"Hey, keep it down," he urged. "Laney's still asleep."

"Not any more," the girl grumbled just behind his back as she shifted to sit as well, pulling the blanket up with her. "Jesus, don't you guys know how to whisper?"

"Sorry," Sam replied, looking around the room nervously. "Uh, should I go?"

Dean was about to speak when he felt Laney lean around his shoulder. Glancing back, he saw her narrow bleary eyes at his brother. "What's in your hands?"

"Um," the younger man stammered, looking at his hands as if to check. "Coffee and breakfast burritos."

Her hands shot out towards Sam, blatantly asking for what he offered. It made Dean chuckle under his breath to see his brother cautiously move around the bed toward her. After taking the bag and one of the coffees, she added "If you have aspirin, I'll love you forever."

Without a second thought, Dean reached down to his duffel by the bed, producing a bottle of the requested medicine. But as he turned to give it to her, she seemed to be glaring slightly. Or rather, she seemed to look the same as she had the day before. He was a little surprised. Maybe a part of him had hoped that last night would've meant a truce between them.

"Well, at least you two are getting along," Sam stated awkwardly as he moved to the table after giving his brother one of the go-cups. He moved to the table to pull his laptop out.

"Hardly," Laney retorted, handing the bag over to Dean after retrieving one of the burritos. "A night of drunken sex doesn't make us besties."

Dean was surprised again, because that actually stung quite a bit. He played it off with a shrug, unwrapping his burrito. "Yeah. Can't a guy have a little fun without it meaning a damn thing?"

Sam's hands shot up in defense. "Sorry. My mistake."

"Did you find anything last night," Laney asked around a mouthful of burrito, changing the subject.

"Not much," Sam admitted, clicking through some things on his laptop. "The book store and the internet couldn't really tell me how to break the curse. I did find some references to similar curses, though those were usually cast on women that witches' husbands had cheated on."

"Told you," Laney interjected. "Oedipal Complex."

"Anything on what happened to those poor suckers," Dean asked, polishing off his burrito, still not having touched his coffee.

"Nothing in what I could find," Sam answered, but gave his brother a meaningful look. "But there were some references to older texts."

Dean nodded as he brought the coffee cup up to his lips. "Bobby."

A quick sip and suddenly he was spitting the foul liquid out of his mouth. "Damn that is disgusting."

"Really," Laney said behind him. "I don't even like coffee and I thought it was pretty good straight. Maybe try some sugar in it. That's what I normally have to do."

"Coffee is supposed to be black," Dean replied in agitation.

"Gimme it," she barked, snatching the cup from his hand. He turned to watch her pop the top off and add in a few packs of the sugar she had apparently taken for herself. Putting the top back on and giving the cup a little swirl, she handed it back to him. "There. Drink it."

He snatched the coffee right back, sure that it would still be disgusting. But after taking a sip, he could only grumble. "It's a little better."

She gave a curt nod of triumph before turning back to Sam, whose amusement was evident on his face. "Now, who's Bobby?"

\---

Laney was sitting in the back of the Impala, face sour, and Dean knew she was none too happy about what was going on. She had shouted and argued about the prospect of going all the way to South Dakota with the brother. Her argument was for Sam to go there and she and Dean stay put, where there were no foreseeable monsters. Sam told her it would be easier to break the curse if they all went, but she didn't budge until Dean threatened to tie her up and duct tape her mouth shut before throwing her in the back seat. He saw venom in her eyes, like she was itching for a fight, and he had to admire that just a little. But then she seemed to realize that she could fight all she want, eventually Dean would be putting her in that backseat, with or without her consent.

So she agreed to go somewhat peacefully, provided they swung by her apartment to pick up a few things. That's where they were headed, Laney gruffly pointing out directions. When they parked outside an apartment building, Dean was afraid she would slam the car door shut. She didn't, which relieved him a bit, though she still continued to glare. They were halfway up the walkway before Dean realized Sam wasn't with them. Laney must have noticed this too because they both turned back at the same time.

"You can come in and make yourself at home," the girl offered, though her voice was less than cordial.

"Uh, I'm good here," Sam nodded in assurance.

Dean could see the discomfort on his brother's face. Shaking his head, he started heading back for the apartment building. "Come on."

He expected a bit of a fuss, considering he has made the statement a bit more forcefully than he had meant to. But Laney only followed suit, taking the lead for the door where she punched in the security code. Once inside, she headed up a flight of stairs, Dean close enough behind that he could hear her humming that song again.

"Still stuck in your head, huh," he asked as they rounded the banister and she pulled out her keys.

She looked at him confused, though still sour, while she stopped to open her door. Her head shook just a little, like trying to throw something off. "Yeah, I guess."

Walking into the apartment, Dean realized it wasn't quite what he had expected. The living room was the first sight. A myriad of posters hung from neutral colored walls, ranging from sci-fi movies to classic rock bands. They had no frames, just stuck up there with scotch tape or blue sticky tack. There were three bookcases, one for books, one for movies, and one for vinyl albums and cassettes. He spotted a turntable on the shelf under the TV which made him smirk.

As he turned to follow her down a short hallway, Dean caught sight of a small cluster of pictures on the wall. They all seemed to have been printed off of a computer and he just had to stop and take a look. "What are these?"

Laney sighed in frustration. "Pictures."

He gave her a dirty look as he stepped closer. The first few he spotted made his eyes widen. "You met Harrison Ford? And Leonard Nimoy?"

"Yes, Dean," she huffed, folding her arms over her chest.

Glancing over the rest of them, Dean realized they were mostly all her with some other celebrity, though he couldn't really name all of them. Though a few of them he did recognize. "Is that you as a little girl with KISS?"

"Face paint and everything," Laney nodded, and he could tell her mood was lightening just a little.

There was one picture that really floored him. It was a young couple, the woman obviously pregnant, surrounded by a very, very young band. "Holy shit! Is that Metallica?"

She chuckled a little, tapping her finger on the picture at the woman's stomach. "Yep. That's my parents, and me."

"That is freakin' awesome," he smiled up at her, but it faded a bit when he realized she was gazing at the picture a little distantly.

"Yeah, they were great," she nodded before motioning for him to continue following her.

Laney's bedroom walls were just as filled with posters as the living room. Dean moved around a bit, admiring them as she pulled a couple duffle bags from under her bed and started to pack. The room was rather small, but he had to admit the accent colors from the posters and her throw pillow really brought it all together. He paused a moment, trying to shake that absurd thought out of his head. Why was his brain suddenly into interior decorating? Trying to shrug it off, he focused on a cartoonish looking stuffed platypus sitting on her nightstand. "Aren't you a little old for dolls?"

He turned to smirk at her, to let her know he was kidding, but the look on her face scared him just a little. "Maybe it has some sentimental value that is none of your damn business, Dean."

"Hey, it was just a joke, alright," he replied gruffly as she came around the bed to snatch the stuffed animal up and put it on her pillow behind her. "I take it the platypus came from your mom and dad."

"None of your damn business, Dean," she shouted loud enough to startle him, articulating every word. "I don't ask you about your dead parents, you don't ask me about mine."

His face hardened, jaw working a little as he asked "How do you know my parents are dead?"

"Oh, it's written all over you," she waved him off, turning back to her bed to grab her other duffel. When she turned back she shook her head at him before brushing past him. "I've got stuff to grab in the bathroom."

He followed her, still pissed at her pegging him so easily. "What do you mean it's written all over me?"

"Pain, loneliness," she shook her head again, stuffing different toiletries into her bag. "I don't really know. But I see it in the mirror everyday, so trust me when I say I recognize it. Now let's drop it, okay?"

"Fine," Dean nodded, folding his arms in front of his chest. He was a-okay with letting this one drop before it got any more personal.

Laney nodded curtly, grabbing some shampoo from the shower before moving past him into the kitchen. Dean moved in behind her, noting the black and white checkered floor. The white cabinets had a picture of a pin-up girl tacked to each door. It was different, but he could admit, if only to himself, it was kinda cool. He glanced over to see Laney digging through her fridge. She pulled back with a nearly empty jug of milk, but he caught sight of a jar full of red liquid on one of the shelves.

"Is that blood," he asked shocked.

Laney glanced back at the fridge as the door closed, gulping the last of the milk from the jug. "Yeah. Goat's blood."

"Why do you have goat's blood in your fridge," he asked angrily as she rinsed the jug out in the sink. "Are you practicing witchcraft?"

"Well, dick for brains," she replied hotly, turning the jug over in the strainer to dry. "I've been trying to break this curse for years. I didn't sell my soul for magical powers, but I sure as shit wasn't gonna pass up a ritual that looked like it might help out. A few of them called for goat's blood. Does that hurt your delicate sensibilities?"

"Do you always have to be a bitch about everything," Dean barked back. Her attitude was really pissing him off. "Jesus, I figured maybe last night would've taken that stick out of your ass."

"Last night? Really," she laughed sarcastically before pointing a finger at him. "Now you listen, and you listen good. It's gonna take a lot more than some mediocre sex to get you on my good side."

The crack on the sex stung just a tad, but he came back with a gruff "You? With a good side?"

She raised an eyebrow at him with a venomous smirk. "Oh, I'm a peach when I want to be."

With that, Laney adjusted the duffels comfortably on her shoulder and walked out, forcing Dean to follow.


	7. Dream a Little Dream of Me

Something about the situation told Laney she was dreaming. Maybe it was the fact that the clock radio was playing Carry on My Wayward Son like her brain had the last few days and the numbers were just a jumble of pixilated light. Maybe it was the fact that Dean was leaning over her shirtless, that slick smirk of his stretching his lips. She ran a finger tip of a very prominent scar on his chest. Something told her he got it saving a life. It seemed to whisper in her ear that there were plenty more where that came from. Plenty more scars to receive, plenty more lives to save.

He was saying something that Laney couldn't make out. It was like his mouth was moving but no sound came out. Of course, even if she had been able to hear him, her attention would still have been on the dark figure behind Dean. It seeped out of a strange shadow, another indication of a dream. A sense of dread filled her when she realized it was the Vipunen… but not the Vipunen. Almost as though someone had taken the giant's body and plastered a human face on it. Not just any human face though. It was the face of the witch that had cursed her.

Laney's fingers dug into Dean's biceps, trying to push him away, but he didn't budge. She became frantic as she saw the creature behind him suddenly raise a rebar pole above its head, prepared to strike. In desperation, she shoved harder, but Dean just grabbed her shoulders firmly, still smiling. That's when she could finally hear him. All he said was "Don't worry. It's what I do."

Then the creature was attacking, the metal sliding through Dean's chest with scary ease, right through the heart. He seemed fine for a second, before the blood spurted out of this mouth with a sick cough. It splattered over her face and all Laney could do was scream.

\---

Dean had nearly driven off the road when Laney shot up in the back seat, screaming at the top of her lungs. Needless to say, it had scared the shit out of him and Sammy. He quickly had control of the Impala, but even though she had stopped screaming, Dean figured it was a good idea to pull over to the shoulder. As soon as he threw his baby in park, Laney was out the door headed for the trunk. On instinct, Dean followed, not even thinking about the distance this time. He found her gingerly sitting on the bumper, taking deep breaths.

"God, Laney, you're shaking," he muttered, pulling off his coat and draping it over her shoulders as he knelt in front of her, seeing Sam rounded the end of the car to join them.

"What the hell was that," the taller brother shouted, adrenaline obviously still pumping through his veins.

But Dean's initial anger had subsided. At his vantage point in front of her, he could look up into Laney's down turned face. Her cheeks were streaked with tears, nose a little runny causing her to sniffle before answering "Bad dream."

"Some bad dream," Sam mumbled, sounding more sympathetic.

Dean couldn't tear his eyes away from her face. Pity wasn't what he would call it. Maybe empathy. It tore him up a little inside seeing her so shaken. "Sam, would you go get me some napkins from the glove compartment?"

"Yeah, sure, Dean," the younger man replied, a little confused, but ever eager to help as he went to the front seat.

"Are you okay," the older Winchester asked, grasping Laney's chin gently to bring her attention to him.

She pulled her face from his hand with an annoyed expression. "Yeah. I'm fine."

"People who are fine do not wake up screaming," he retorted, gripping the lapels that were around her neck. He gave them a little shake to make her look at him. When their eyes met, his chest tightened just a bit.

Dean shook the feeling off when Sam came back holding fast food napkins out to him. He took them and tried to clean her face, but she jerked the napkins from his hands to do it herself. He acquiesced, hands going up in surrender as Sam moved beside him.

"What was your dream about," his younger brother asked, his school-councilor mode in full force. Dean rolled his eyes.

"I…" she began. He knew she was about to lie, big time. "I don't remember."

Sam was about to press the issue, but Dean placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking his head to warn his brother to back off. Sammy nodded in understanding.

"Well, Bobby's is only a couple hours from here," Dean told her, absently pushing some hair behind her ear before resting his palm on the side of her neck. "You gonna try to get some more sleep?"

"I don't think so," she replied with a half-amused snort, pulling his hand away from her skin, though she didn't let it go. "I think I'll be up for a while."

He nodded, gently pulling her to her feet. She shrugged his jacket down to one of her hands before giving it back when they got to the door to the backseat. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he replied, closing the door once she was in. Sam grabbed his attention over the roof of the Impala. He motioned to the girl with his eyes, a confused look on his face. Dean shrugged, deftly sliding into the driver's seat and glancing at Laney in the rearview mirror. She looked lost in thought, eyes staring at the back of his seat. The slight crinkle around the corners of her eyes let him know she was thinking hard about something, probably replaying the dream in her head despite the lie that she didn't remember.

\---

Laney watched quietly as the mass of trees broke to reveal a large blue house. It may have been beautiful once. Perhaps flowers around the stoop or along the walkway. But age and neglect had given it a griminess. The rusted car parts littering the yard, killing grass and shrubs, didn't help either. Plywood in the windows made it look derelict despite the blue tow truck and the sign declaring it "Singer Salvage Yard," though some odd spacing of the words told her it might have been labeled something else at one point.

The Impala pulled up next to the truck and Laney leaned over the seat to look at the men. "He lives at a junk yard?"

"Oh not just any junk yard," Dean smirked at her. "The best damn junk yard you've ever seen."

She shrugged a little. "Well, considering I've only seen a handful, I suppose that won't be a hard feat to accomplish."

The trio left the car and walked up the stairs to the front door. Laney glanced around at Dean knocked. The place didn't look any from that angle. Though, just next to the door there was a spot where the siding didn't look so dirty. Someone must have accidentally rubbed some of the dirt off showing an almost sky blue. She nodded and absently started whistling. It was that song again. She just couldn't shake it and it was starting to make her wonder.

The door swung open, revealing a man who definitely looked like he belonged in a setting like this, all flannel and facial hair and gruffness. "'Bout time you boys got here."

"Nice to see you too, Bobby," Dean quipped as the older man stepped out of the way to let them in.

Laney trailed slightly behind the others, stopping to watch Bobby shut the door. When he turned back, he paused; maybe a bit surprised that she was standing there watching. Reaching over to a small foyer stand, he picked up a glass of water and held it out to her. It seemed strange, but maybe that was his way of making someone feel welcome.

"You must be Laney," he said, sounding cautious.

"Excellent deductive reasoning," she smirked, but when his face turned impossibly more sour, she felt sheepish. Taking the glass, she added "Thanks."

He was watching her like a hawk as she brought the glass up to her face. Glancing over, she saw Dean and Sam standing just in the hallway, both their arms crossed, also staring at her expectantly. Confused, she pulled the glass away from her lips. "Am I missing something? Am I not supposed to drink this?"

"No, please, drink," Sam encouraged, though she saw something wordlessly cross between the brothers and the older man. "It's an old tradition of Bobby's."

Shrugging, she took a good swig, letting the water coat the tongue that she hadn't realized was so parched. It had a slightly metallic taste, which had her asking "Okay, was this water in a canteen or a flask or something? Tastes tinny."

"Good guess," Bobby answered, sounding just a little bit relieved. "Holy water. Just wanna make sure no demons are riding you in here."

"Demons," she raised an eyebrow as Dean pulled the glass from her hand, fingers brushing hers with a certain familiarity.

"Demons can possess people," he explained, taking a sip from the glass before handing it to Sam, who did as well before rolling his eyes. "Holy water burns them. It's a precaution he takes with everyone who comes in."

"Bobby, have you been able to find anything on this curse," Sam chimed in as the older man led the way into what Laney could only assume was a study.

Most of the walls were lined with shelf upon shelf of old, dusty, leather bound books. A desk sat in front of a fireplace and a couch held space under a bay window. Under normally circumstances, Laney would be fawning over all the books, even the lushly red wallpaper with its intricate details hidden under a layer of dust. Somehow it was all very unappealing. The place could definitely use a woman's touch. Bobby moved behind the desk to sit, ruffling through some papers.

"For starters, I've found out it's bad news," he looked up harshly at the men. "Damn it, Dean, couldn't you've kept it in your pants?"

"Hey," the older brother sounded affronted. "It was just a kiss."

Sam rolled his eyes. "That time."

"Shut up, y'idjits," Bobby snapped before turning his attention to Laney. "Do you have any idea what the witch used to make this curse?"

"No idea," she shook her head. "She just showed up one day telling me I was cursed and why. I thought she was bullshitting me until what she did to my neighbor's cat."

"What did she do to the cat," Sam asked, naively curious.

Laney raised her eyebrows. "Trust me. You don't want to know."

Dean, who had been staring off at the wall for a few moments, suddenly walked away from the desk. Everyone turned to watch him, confused as all hell. Hand raised, he ran his fingers over the wall, eyes scrunched in concentration. "Hey, Bobby, did you know there was a pattern on this wallpaper? I never noticed it before."

"See, that right there," Sam barked out, startling Laney. "That's what I'm talking about, Bobby. Dean's been acting really weird. He didn't finish breakfast, added sugar to his coffee. And they've both kinda been doing things in unison. It's… creepy."

Laney had to admit she had been acting a bit odd lately too. Her appetite was decidedly different. She unusually agitated, and though she felt she had a good reason, she was snapping at Dean more than she really cared to. Speaking of Dean, he had come back over to the desk, glaring at his brother, though making no protest. Bobby's brow furrowed as he slipped though the pages of an ancient looking book.

"Yeah, that makes sense," he nodded gruffly, finally stopping on a page. "There are only a few mentions of this spell, but most of them say that the cursed end up sorta swapping traits. They start acting more like each other."

"Why's that," Laney asked, interested in this new information.

"Dunno," Bobby shrugged, still skimming the page. After a moment, he looked up at the trio in front of him. "Though, in at least two of the cases, it looks like they ended up killing each other."

Laney glanced up at Dean, whose eyes locked on hers for a moment before he spoke. "Bobby, we've been at each others throats almost constantly since this whole thing happened."

"Balls," the older man said under his breath, flipping through more pages of his book. "There's nothing in here that tells me how to break the curse, especially with not knowing what went into the spell in the first place."

Pushing away from the desk, Bobby stood and started making the rounds of his bookcases. At least every other shelf, he pulled out a large old book. Some he checked the cover before replacing. After a while, he came back to the desk with a sizeable stack. Plopping them down with a large billowing of dust, he placed a hand on them. "Well, it looks like we've got some work to do."


	8. Ring Around the Rosey

Laney pinched the bridge of her nose, the pain in her eyes becoming unbearable. Looking up, she saw Dean stretched across the couch, the window showing it was night outside. Despite all the lights that were on, he had managed to fall asleep with the book resting open against his lap. The position of his neck looked extremely uncomfortable though he seemed to be sleeping like the dead. Glancing around, she saw Bobby with his nose still buried in an old book and Sam past out, nearly drooling over his tome.

She used the red bit of string on her book's spine to mark her place and stood with a stretch. Bobby barely spared her a glance before returning to his reading. Moving over to the desk, Laney gave Sam a little shake. "Hey, Sammy."

He stirred a bit and it took another firm shake to completely rouse him. "Hmm?"

"Why don't you go to bed," she urged gently. "You're not doin' us much good with your eyes closed."

"I'm fine," he assured groggily, sitting up and flipping a page of the book.

"Sam," Bobby said sternly, never looking up from his reading. "Bed."

This seemed to change the younger man's mind. "You're probably right. We've got a few things to go on. We can try them tomorrow."

Laney nodded, giving him a pat on the shoulder before he got off and headed for the stairs. As soon as he was out of sight, she moved to Dean's side, gingerly taking the book from his hands. Apparently a heavy sleeper, or maybe it was because she was normally a heavy sleeper, he didn't even react when she gently lifted his head to tuck a pillow under it, positioning it to make it more comfortable. She smirked a bit as she looked at his face and had to admit, the old saying was true for him. He did kind of look like an angel as he slept.

Since she had come in, Bobby hadn't been giving her much attention, which she was absolutely fine with. Now though, she felt the urge to ask him something. Obviously the brothers trusted him. The fact that he was a Hunter and that he was still alive had to mean he was good at it. Moving back toward the desk, she pulled her chair up to face him, not surprised when he didn't acknowledge her.

"Bobby, can I ask you something," she started, voice barely more than a whisper.

There were a few long moments of silence before he finally looked up, fairly annoyed. "I guess."

Nodding slowly and not quite sure how to start, her response was a drawn out "Well…"

"Would you just get on with it," he huffed. "Ain't got all damned day."

"Did the boys tell you about what happened with the Vipunen," she blurted out after his outburst.

He shifted a bit, as though the subject left him a bit uneasy. "Just told me it was dead. They both seemed a little more concerned with this curse a yours."

"I killed it," she stated flatly.

His eyes squinted a little in disbelief. Leaning forward a little, he repeated "You killed it?"

"Yeah," she nodded, leaning her elbows on the table to move closer. "Sam was literally thrown out of commission and Dean was about to get his head bitten off. I wish I could say it was a hero instinct in me, but honestly I just didn't know what would happen if Dean was killed. I mean, would I be stuck with a corpse for the rest of my life?"

Bobby cringed away from the question, shaking his head. "Just get on with it. You killed it to save your ass, then what?"

"It was before I killed it," she started, looking back at Dean, to make sure he was still asleep. When she was content that he couldn't hear what she was about to say, she turned back to look at Bobby. Only, he was giving her this look that kept her from talking.

"It spoke to you, didn't it," he asked, though it sounded more like a statement than a question.

"Yeah. How did you know?"

Bobby gave a small sigh as he leaned forward, matching her stance with his elbows on the desk. "There have been a couple other hunters who've dealt with Vipunen. They all said the things spoke to them before they killed them."

"Sam said it was just a part of the legends," Laney stated, somewhat taken aback.

"Yeah, well Sam didn't ask me about it before the two of them Ijits went off to kill the thing," he grumbled. Another sigh before he continued "Anyway, what did it say to you?"

She licked her lips nervously before answering. "It told me I had bested it, but that before I killed it, it wanted to give me some knowledge. It told me I would never be free without sacrifice. Now, I don't know what that fortune cookie bullshit is supposed to mean, but there was something else."

The annoyed expression returned to Bobby's face as he asked "Like?"

"Like," she began with her own sigh. "It touched my leg and it felt like my vision got hazy, like it was trying to show me something I couldn't quite see. Once it let go I killed it, but not long after that, I got this song stuck in my head, Carry On My Wayward Son by Kansas, and it just won't leave. It pops up in my dreams. Any time I'm not thinking of something in particular. Heck, it's playing in the back of my head while I'm talking to you right now."

"And you think maybe this song has something to do with what the Vipunen was trying to tell you," Bobby ventured.

"Exactly," she exclaimed loud enough to elicit a lout snort from Dean before he rolled over on the couch. Chagrinned, she turned back to Bobby.

"Does that song have any sort of meaning to you," he asked and suddenly Laney realized he was on a hunt, even if it was just a little one. Something about his demeanor had changed though he hadn't really moved a muscle. If it had been an old film noir, he'd be a private investigator telling her he'd take her case.

"No," she shook her head. "Not a damn thing. I mean, it's a good song, but it's probably not even in my top ten."

"I'll talk to the other hunters that have dealt with Vipunen, see what I can dig up," he nodded, leaning back in his seat and turning his attention back to his book. And again just like that, she knew the conversation was over. "It's not like I had anything penciled in on my dance card. But Sam was right, we've got enough to go on to start figurin this thing out tomorrow. You should go to bed, kid."

As she was about to protest, a most inopportune yawn escaped Laney's mouth. Smacking her lips a little, she shook her head. "I'm alright. Still gotta finish this volume."

"Dean," Bobby shouted loud enough to startle her.

Looking back, she saw Dean bolt up out of his sleep, knife drawn, mumbling something about potato soup. He glanced around and when it seemed he gained his bearings, he twisted to sit upright on the couch, knife disappearing somewhere on his person. Running a hand over his face and across the back of his neck, he glared up at the older man. "What, Bobby?'

"Get your ass in bed, ya Ijit," Bobby barked. "I made up an extra bunk in one of the rooms so you two don't have to share."

Unlike everyone else, Dean did not protest. Standing up, he moved over to Laney's chair. She looked up at him and realized his eyes were still glossed over with sleep, as though he still hadn't fully awakened. He tilted his head a little bit in the direction of the stairs as he ordered "Come on. Let's go."

Expecting confrontation, she stood to face him. "Dean, just go lay back down on the couch. I've got some more research to do."

His eyes half closed, like he had fallen asleep again, and she noted that she had been told she did that often. But he moved the chair she had previously been occupying, and without warning, swooped down at her. Soon she found herself hoisted over his shoulder in a fireman's carry. With a squawk of protest, she tried to squirm her way out of his grip. The firm resounding smack he gave her ass stilled her and she knew she blushed a deep red.

"Stop before I drop you," he mumbled sleepily.

As Dean started to carry her out of the den, Laney saw Bobby shake his head in annoyance. Though, just before he was completely out of her line of sight, she could have sworn there was a smirk on his face.

\---

"If you ever pull something like that again, I will murder you in your sleep!"

Dean was leaning back against the wall just outside the bathroom as Laney yelled at him through the closed door. She had started laying into him the moment they both woke up. He had tried to explain that he had been half-asleep and shouldn't be held accountable for his actions, but that didn't change her demeanor.

"Yeah, well, if you'd ever just do what I tell you, we wouldn't have this problem," he shouted back, undeterred by how absurd the situation was. The toilet flushed at his statement and he rolled his eyes. When he heard the water for the sink running he continued. "Anything I tell you to do is for your own good."

"You arrogant son of a bitch," she snapped just as she opened the bathroom door to glare up at him. "What makes you think you know what's good for me?"

He was suddenly struck by the sight of her. Apparently, he had never really taken a good look at her during one of their arguments, because he had to admit, the old saying was true for her. She did look even more beautiful when she was angry. The fire in her eyes and wildness of her hair was decidedly attractive. But he shook it off, instead narrowing his eyes at her. "This isn't the school library, sweetheart. You're dealing with my world now, so maybe you should be following my lead on things. Even if it is as simple as sleeping when I say we sleep."

She stood up to her full height then, which was nowhere near his own, but it still seemed slightly imposing as she squared her shoulders and leaned up to bring her murderous face within inches of his. Her voice was hard edged as she spoke through gritted teeth. "I'm gonna give you some slack because you've only known me for a few days. But if you ever speak to me like that again, you'll be wearing your testicles like a top hat. Do you understand me?"

Before Dean could respond, though he really had no answer, Sam was pulling them apart. "Hey guys, could we just settle down here?"

In almost perfect unison, Dean and Laney shook out of the younger brother's grasp, still glaring at each other. Realizing it was a lost cause to get them to stop quarreling, Sam shook his head with a sigh. "Bobby's got some stuff set up downstairs."

"Good," Laney nodded, moving around them to head for the den. "I'll be glad when I'm not stuck with this jerk anymore."

"Likewise," Dean added, turning to follow as his brother fell in step behind him.

When he reached the den a split second after Laney, Dean saw the large white sheet spread out over the floor. A large bloody circle was drawn on it with strange symbols scribbled both inside and outside along its length. Bobby came in from the kitchen, drying his hands off, the paper towel stained slightly pink. "Alright. Get in."

Dean and Laney glared at each other before carefully stepping into the ring without disturbing any of the blood. Sam moved over to the desk and picked up one of the open books. "Okay, so we've got the goats' blood and vervain ring. It says you two need to stand in the center back to back."

As they moved to comply, Dean heard Laney whisper hotly "Told you goat's blood popped up in curse breaking."

"Excuse me for getting confused," he returned just as heated once their backs were touching. "Most women don't have jars of blood in their fridge unless they're witches."

"Would you two like to be alone together," Bobby asked in his usual gruff and annoyed tone. "Or would you like to get on with trying to break this damn curse?"

Dean clenched his teeth and stood straight, staring into the kitchen in front of him. He felt Laney's back become rigid behind him and he knew her stance probably matched his own.

"Good," the older man stated in mock cheer. "Now, you two are supposed to walk away from each other slowly while Sam reads an incantation. When you step out of the blood ring it should break the curse."

As Sam began reciting whatever language the book was in, Dean started walking forward. He tried to match what he figured Laney's pace might be. When he reached the line of blood, he felt a twinge in his chest. It was the telltale sign that he was at the end of the proverbial tether the curse gave him. Looking back over his shoulder, he saw Laney standing at the far edge of the circle. As if on cue, she glanced back at him. Her face didn't have the glare he expected. Instead, she looked a little… scared. He offered her a small reassuring smile that she nodded at before turning back. Letting out a deep breath, Dean took a step forward.

It was like a fire erupted inside Dean, threatening to split his ribs open. The pain was intense as he clutched his chest. He grit his teeth, partly against the pain, partly because he was a little afraid if he opened his mouth to scream the fire would shoot out. Falling to his knees, he barely made out an echoing crash behind him through the rush of blood in his ears. The feeling subsided, but did not die and he looked behind him to see Laney had collapsed back into the ring.

Not even questioning the worry that shot through him, Dean scrambled toward her, the pain disappearing as he grew closer. She was trying to move up to her elbows, but seemed too weak to make it. Kneeling beside her, he saw she was extremely pale and sick looking, holding a hand to her chest and panting.

"You okay," he croaked out through a dry throat, putting out a hand to help her up.

"Yeah, fine and dandy" she groaned, finally taking his help to get to her knees. Stopping for a breather, she looked up at him. "You?"

"Been better," he replied, moving to stand and grabbing her by the elbows to haul her up. He kept a tight grip on her for a few moments, letting her get her feet under her as he turned to Sam and Bobby. "Safe to say that one didn't work."

"Balls," Bobby grumbled, moving over to Sam as they both started sifting through other papers and books on the desk.

"I'm good, Dean," Laney assured, pulling her elbows from his hands as the color began to return to her face. But she still seemed shaky and when she moved to take a step she started to pitch to one side. In an instant, he caught her around the waist, her hands latching onto his shirtsleeves to steady herself. The lack of protest surprised him when he pulled her to his side and guided them both to the couch.


	9. Peace Won't Last for Long

Dean held a beer out to Laney who raised her hand with a shake of her head. Shrugging, he put it back in the fridge before closing the door. He popped open his beer as he caught Laney opening and closing cabinets, looking for something. Figuring he knew what, Dean opened the cabinet closest to him and pull out a glass to give her.

"Thanks," she nodded, taking it from him to fill with tap water.

They migrated to the kitchen table to sit. It was nearly dark and Sam and Bobby had gone to town to get food and more supplies. After three more attempts at breaking the curse that afternoon, Dean and Laney were worn out so they had opted to stay behind. Though Dean figured his brother and their mentor were both a little relieved that they wouldn't have to put up with the possibility of more bickering.

Glancing up at Laney, he saw her gulping down the water with alarming speed. "Whoa, hey, slow down. Don't wanna make yourself sick."

She drained the last drop before pulling the glass away, a bit of water sliding down her chin. Wiping it away, she looked at Dean sheepishly. "I didn't realize how thirsty I was until I started drinking. This afternoon took a lot out of me."

He leaned over and plopped a hand on her shoulder. "You sure you're okay?"

"Nope," she shook her head a little, but ended it with a soft smile. "But I think I can get over it."

With a small chuckle, he grabbed her glass as he stood. "Here. I'll get you some more water."

Stepping over to the sink, he flipped the water on. He let it run to get cold as he said over his shoulder "I'd offer you whiskey, but I don't think Bobby would be too happy if I got into his stash without asking."

"Because we really need a repeat of the other night," Laney snorted.

"I suppose you're right," Dean shrugged with a weak smirk as he filled the glass. Bringing it back over to her, he held it out for her to take as he sat. "Would hate to subject you to another night of mediocre sex."

She took the glass and took a few big gulps of the water, looking at him from the corner of her eye. When she pulled the glass away to breathe, she smiled. "Well, maybe it was a little better than mediocre. But only a little."

"Okay," he smirked back, unconvinced, as he took a swig of his beer.

His heart beat a little faster when she gave a gentle giggle. He really did love it when she showed a little softness and he enjoyed the look of fondness she was giving him. He shook his head a bit with a chuckle before they fell into an easy silence, waiting for the other two to come back.

\---

Sam plopped a newspaper under Dean's nose at the kitchen table when he and Bobby walked it. Giving his brother a quizzical look, Dean picked up the paper and started reading the article it was folded up to. Laney stood to help put away groceries, but Bobby waved her off. She was just turning back to the table when Bobby peaked out from the fridge.

"You wouldn't happen to know how to cook, would ya," he asked gruffly.

Folding her arms, seemingly annoyed with the question, she responded. "Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can cook. I mean, I know a few things, but I'm no housewife."

"Vampires," Dean blurted out suddenly, having finished the article detailing missing people and victims found drained of blood. "Do we really have to deal with fucking vampires right now?"

"A few counties over," Sam nodded.

Laney moved back to her place at the table, taking a seat as she snatched the newspaper from Dean. "Vampires? For real?"

"Yeah, not that sparkly, pretty boy bull shit, either," Dean grumbled.

"Don't even get me started," Laney rolled her eyes, perusing the newspaper. "So, what, you guys normally just read the newspaper and figure out if strange things might be paranormal?"

"Pretty much," Sam replied, finishing up with the groceries. "But it probably isn't more than two or three, Dean. Bobby and I can handle it."

"Uh, no offense, but Bobby should be retired by now."

"None taken," Bobby grumbled, pulling some food out of the fridge. "Just hope you like spit in your dinner."

"And I'm not letting you go get yourself killed," Dean added to his brother. "We're going."

"Dean." The softness of Laney's voice and the feel of her hand on his forearm startled him, drawing his eyes to her face. She looked concerned, which shocked him further. "Maybe Sam's right. I'm sure they both have experience with this sort of thing. The two of them should go."

"I'm a hunter, Laney," he replied matter-of-factly. "This is my job. I don't just sit around when something needs to be done."

The familiar look of annoyance returned to her face as she spat back. "Yeah, you're a hunter, but I'm not. I'm not trained to do this; I'm a fucking high school librarian, for god's sake. And lest we forget, anywhere you go, I gotta go. So maybe we should rethink this busting in guns blazing routine, shall we?"

Dean gritted his teeth. "There is something out there killing innocent people, we kill it. End of story."

"No, not end of story, you melodramatic numbnuts," Laney snapped. "I am not a hunter! I'm just dead weight and you know it. I could get you killed. Is that what you want?"

"I'm pretty damn good at what I do, sweetheart," he shot. "I doubt even your sorry ass could slow me down that much."

Her eyes seemed to darken, which startled Dean a bit, though he kept the angered look on his face. Calmly, she pushed her chair out and stood looming over him. He was starting to hope Sam or Bobby would step in soon, because he certainly didn't like where this was going.

"On your feet, Dean," she ordered venomously. "You get up so I can knock your arrogant ass down."

"Are you serious," he balked, glancing at his brother who didn't seem too eager to help and unable to see Bobby.

"I warned you what I'd do if you talked to me that way again," Laney growled. "Now get up you sack of shit."

She must have noticed how on edge he was, how his muscles were coiling to react. That's the only way Dean could figure that she pulled off her little trick stunt. With little warning, or at least none that Dean had taken in during the split second, she kicked a leg on the chair he was sitting on. It was just enough that his reflexes had him up and facing her. She telegraphed her punch like any amateur would and he was able to grab her wrist to keep her from making contact with his face, but there was enough power behind the swing it stung his hand considerably. With a frustrated growl, she went to knee him the abdomen. He deflected it with his own leg, but she managed to shove him hard in the chest, sending him stumbling back a few feet. He felt his back make contact with Bobby at the same time he saw Sam surge to his feet, but his eyes fell square on Laney, who was standing her ground. He went to charge back at her, but Bobby grabbed him by the collar and held him fast.

"Enough," the older man boomed.

He dragged Dean over to the table like a scruffed pup, grabbing Laney by the shoulder and shoving them both down into their seats. Laney looked indignant as she went to stand again, but Bobby glared at her and she fell back without any more fight. Sam went ahead and joined the others at the table.

"You two ijits need to come to your senses," he barked. "You two wanna kill each other before we get a chance to break this curse, go right ahead, but it ain't gonna be in my house."

When both looked sufficiently ashamed for their actions, Bobby nodded and continued. "Alright then. Now Laney, I don't agree with Dean on going on this hunt, but he's stubborn as a mule and I know no matter what I say, he's gonna go if he wants to anyway. He's one of the best damned hunters I know, but if he gets himself killed it certainly won't be because you slowed him down."

Dean wasn't quite sure how he should feel about the back-handed compliments. It wasn't decided when Bobby turned to look at him and added "And Dean, you're a jackass, plain and simple. If you keep acting that way, I'll let her kill you next time."

The older Winchester seemed about to deliver what most assuredly would have been a scathing retort, but he though better of it when Bobby's glare turned on him again. He hated to admit it, but sometimes he still felt like a kid under that gaze, and sometimes he was grateful for that.

"Fine," Laney grumbled. "I guess I have absolutely no say in the matter. But I at least better get a weapon this time. And if I get killed or bitten I'm coming back for each and every one of your asses."

"Yeah, well, get in line," Dean mumbled under his breath, but Bobby smacked him the back of the head, the sharp thump catching him off guard. 'What the hell, Bobby?"

"Did you listen to a word I just said to you," he growled.

Dean glanced over at Laney, who was smirking. From the lingering mischief in her eyes, it was probably because of the rebuke Bobby was giving him. The older Winchester grumbled in reply. "Yeah, I heard you."

Bobby sighed, obviously annoyed, walking back for the fridge. "Damn, I'll be happy when you two are separated. At least if you all three go I'll have some peace to figure this shit out."

"Bobby's right," Sam nodded, finally popping his opinion. But he knew it was too soon when his brother and Laney both turned to him in sync. "Shut up, Sam!"

Sam raised his hands in defeat, getting up to help Bobby with dinner. The angry pair turned to glare at each other, but Dean found he couldn't hold her eyes for long. When he really thought about it, adrenaline from a possible fight draining away and clearing his mind, he knew Laney was right. She wasn't a hunter. She was a civilian, no matter how much of an attitude she had. But he couldn't let his family go on a hunt without him. He would just have to keep an eye on her, be extra cautious. Dean didn't want innocent blood on his hands, least of all Laney's.


	10. Shoot from the Hip

"Have you ever fired a gun before?"

Dean propped open the trunk of the Impala with his sawed-off shotgun, glancing up at Laney. Sam had decided to stay in town to do some digging on the vampire problem. It had surprised Dean when Laney had asked to be taken out and shown how to use some weapons. Their little fight at Bobby's the night before had made it seem like she wasn't interested. He guessed that since she knew she was stuck on this ride, she figured she should pull some weight.

"Not a handgun," she admitted. "But I've read about it, so theoretically, I can."

"Read about it," Dean scoffed.

She glowered at him. "Yeah, I read about it. You'd be surprised what you can learn if you know how to read."

His eyes narrowed at her insult. "Fat lotta good that does when you're face to face with a monster."

"Oh, I dunno," she shrugged, her usual anger seeping in. "I bet I know how to kill vampires."

"Then what was all that bullshit about last night," he growled, turning to her.

"Knowing how to do something and being able to do it are two different things, genius," she snapped, folding her arms in front of her chest.

"Fine. You think you know how to kill a vampire," he replied sarcastically before waving an arm at the weapons. "What would you use?"

Laney unfolded her arms, raising an eyebrow at him. His face was smug as she turned to the trunk to look everything over. "What's in the flasks?"

"Holy water," he answered truthfully, certain she would go for that or the wooden stakes. Typical civilian.

So, it caught him off guard, and it showed fully on his face, when she reached in with a gleeful expression and pulled out a large machete. She turned it in her hands, obviously testing the weight of it, slashing at the air on the other side of the trunk. "Oh yeah. I'd use this…. Or maybe that kukri in a pinch."

"Lucky guess," he grumbled, pulling out his handgun to idly check the clip.

"Guess, my ass," she railed, though thoughtful enough to put the weapon down. "There isn't too much a machete can't stop when wielded properly."

Well, he had to give her that one. "Come on. There's a fence line down this gravel road. We can shoot from there."

"Are you sure that's safe," she asked, following close behind him.

"We're miles away from anyone," he assured. "There's a stump in the field up there that's far enough from the tree line you wouldn't shoot anyone you couldn't see. Used to drive all the way out here with Bobby when I was a kid."

There were a few moments of silence as they picked their way through some weeds and bushes to reach the fence. It was old, but still sturdy at this spot, a tree close by probably creating a break from the elements to keep it seemingly unravaged by time. Dean pointed out across the field to the large jagged stump he had mentioned. "There it is."

"Looks like it was felled by lightning," she remarked, stepping on to the lowest rung of the fence to lean over the top, eyes narrowed in curiosity.

"I guess," he shrugged, though he remembered as a kid wondering that same thing. He had found it curious why the tree was out so far from the woods and why it was so strangely shaped, but over the years, he just stopped questioning it. Shaking it thought from his head, he held out his gun for Laney to take. As she reached for it, he pulled it back, having forgotten something. "Before I hand this over to you, you need to know a ground rule. Don't point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot, least of all me."

"What makes you think I don't intend to shoot you," she scowled.

"Okay then, lesson over." Dean tucked the gun in his waistband.

"Hold on now! I was just kidding," she assured. When he gave her an unbelieving look, she relented, rolling her eyes. "I promise not to point the gun at you."

Though he wasn't completely convinced, he pulled his gun back out and proceeded to give her a cursory lesson on how to load it and remove the safety. She was quiet and watched intently, and something told Dean that she generally enjoyed learning new things. He had her practice a few times until he was certain she had those parts down. Then he handed the gun over and pointed at the tree stump. "Since you know how to fire a gun, theoretically, shoot the stump."

Laney glared at him from the corner of her eye, which he found amusing for some reason. Maybe because it was annoyance, but not really anger. She spread her feet shoulder width apart, holding the gun in her right hand and supporting the butt of it with her left hand in a teacup grip. He was kind of impressed with her form… even though it belonged more in a shooting range than in a fight with a monster. She lined up the sights and fired.

Dean had to keep himself from laughing when the kickback of the gun sent her arms flying up and her feet stumbled half a step back. The cringe, followed by the look of shock on her face, was priceless. The bullet just grazed over the top of the stump, most likely nowhere near where she had aimed. He wiped his hand over his face, attempting to hide his amusement, but it came out in his voice. "Has a bit of a kick, doesn't it?"

She glowered. There was the anger he was used to. But it didn't lessen his grin as her face set in determination and she repositioned herself to fire again. She was better prepared this time, though her hands still jumped, causing her to miss again. He watched her try a few more times, getting more and more frustrated, making her off her mark more and more. She growled fiercely, pointing the gun at the ground and attempted to hand it back to Dean. "Here! I'll just stick with the machete."

As soon as he took the gun from her, Laney turned to walk off in a huff, but he caught her wrist and pulled her back. She spun to look at him, the fire in her eyes flaring. He ignored it, shoving the gun back in her hand and handing her a full clip.

"Machetes work better on vampires, but you don't get to give up that easily," he said gruffly. "Now, reload your weapon."

"Dean, I'm not good at it," she protested. "There's no point."

"You wanted to learn how to shoot, so I'm gonna teach you," he countered. "Reload your weapon."

She reluctantly did as he said and as soon as it was finished Dean grabbed her hips and roughly pulled her into her previous stance, this time standing behind her so he could see over her right shoulder. He dropped his hands, somewhat surprised she hadn't tried to throw a punch at him. "Extend your arms, but don't lock your elbows."

When she complied, he motioned towards the stump. "Now, I want you to aim for that chunk of bark that's left near the center there."

"Dean," she started to protest again, but he gave a curt sigh to cut her off. He was close enough that he felt her shiver just a little bit as his breath hit her neck. It caught him a little off guard, but there were more important things to deal with.

"Laney, this could save your life one day," he informed. "So would you please just listen to me? Just this once?"

Her back straightened and he was prepared for a tirade, but she tilted her head a little, lining up the sights on the gun. He shook his head a little; amazed she was following his orders. "Good. Now, I noticed you weren't very steady when you were firing. So, I want you to take a deep breath and hold it in before you shoot. Fire multiple times in a short burst."

Laney gave an understanding nod and he watched her shoulders rise slightly as she filled her lungs. When she finished her rapid-fire shooting, he saw that her grouping ranged fairly wide, but they all hit the tree, a couple managing to pierce the park where she had intended. He moved around the side of her to look at her with a smile. "Better. You still flinch when you fire, which is throwing you off, but you get used to the sound the more you shoot."

It took him a moment to realize she wasn't looking at him, but past him. She raised an eyebrow before pointing over his shoulder. "Uh, Dean…"

He turned around and spotted what she had pointed to. A man, possibly a farmhand, was running toward them from the woods, wielding a shotgun. He looked back at Laney, taking the gun to tuck away, before quickly grabbing her shoulder. "I think that's our cue to get the hell out of here."

She chuckled as they both took off back toward the Impala and was still laughing when they got in and started hauling ass back to the main road.

\---

Laney was less than thrilled as she sat in the back of the Impala, scratching at the itchy material of the business dress Sam had found her at a thrift store. It was frumpy and uncomfortable and it didn't help that the brothers' suit were neat and well-fitted. "This may be the worst thing I've ever worn in my entire life."

"It was all they had," Sam replied, sounding apologetic. "Besides, we're going in as Federal Agents. It's best to look non-descript."

"Oh, like you, Mr. Tall Dark and Shaggy," she retorted in annoyance. When Dean gave an amused snort, she fired off at him. "Don't get me started, Zoolander."

He shot her a look in the rearview mirror as he parked in front of the 24-hour gym. Sam's research found that all of the victims had been members of this particular fitness center and had been there recently before their deaths. Laney straightened her skirt when she got out, trying to be inconspicuous as she scratched just under the hem. Dean caught her anyway and gave her a knowing smirk. She wished she could wipe the smugness of his face, no matter how good it looked there or how hot that suit was on him.

She followed close behind the brothers, kitten heels clacking on the tile in the lobby. Resisting the urge to scratch at her arms, she nearly ran into Dean's back when he stopped at the reception desk. The blond man standing there was young and fit, wearing a t-shirt that advertised the fitness center. He gave the brothers a polite smile. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Special Agent Ulrich," Dean replied as he and Sam both flashed badges quickly before putting them away. "This is Special Agent Hetfield. We're here investigating the deaths of a few of your customers."

Laney rolled her eyes as she got the Metallica reference. That was smart. Use famous names and hope nobody recognizes them. It took her a moment to realize the blond man hadn't responded. He was smiling at her, which made her companions both look back at her.

"Hi. My name's Kevin," he told her, thrusting his hand toward her for a handshake. She glanced at the brothers, both looking confused, before she took the offered hand.

"Junior Agent Mustaine," she replied with her own pleasant smile, trying to keep with the theme. "I'm in training."

"That's cool," the blond, Kevin, nodded, seeming a bit air headed.

Dean cleared his throat, looking extremely annoyed. "Yeah, Kevin. About your customers that have been killed?"

"Oh, wow," he blinked, looking up at the older brother. "Is that the stuff that's been on the news, bro? 'Cause that sucks."

"Totally," Dean responded sarcastically.

Laney saw Sam shoot him a look before reaching back into his pocket to pull out a piece of paper. "Kevin, I have a list of the victims' names. Could you look them up in your database please?"

"Yeah, sure, bro," Kevin nodded and took the paper before starting to type on his keyboard.

Dean took the opportunity to mouth the word "bro" in question at Sam, who shrugged as he shook his head. Then Laney caught him look back at her with a half-smile before he mouthed "Mustaine?"

She shrugged a shoulder and his smile widened. She thought she saw a look of fondness there before Kevin made a noise of surprise.

"Well, not all of them are in here," he said, looking back up at the brothers. "But the ones that did usually checked in during the overnight shift for cardio training."

"Did you know them," Sam asked."

"Naw, bro," the blond replied. "I don't work overnights."

Dean looked at him expectantly. When the man didn't take the hint, the older brother barked "Who does work overnights?"

"Uh, Vicki usually," Kevin nodded. "She's pretty awesome. Does a lot of cardio. Yeah, she comes in at 10."

"Thanks," Sam replied before they all three turned to leave.

"Well, that guy's a fucking idiot," Dean grumbled when they reached the parking lot.

"Dumb, but nice," Laney argued, pulling her blazer off.

"You only think that because he was trying to hit on you," the older Winchester retorted caustically. "It was very unprofessional."

Sam raised an eyebrow at his brother as they slid into the Impala. "Really, Dean? You're going to accuse someone of being unprofessional?"

Apparently, Dean had no argument for that. He just seemed to stew a little bit as he started the car, locking eyes with Laney in the rearview mirror.


	11. Change of Heart

It was a good thing Sam had gotten a separate room, because Dean was a little taken aback when Laney ripped off her clothing when they got back in their motel room. She had been complaining about the material itching since she put it on, so it made sense. He just hadn't expected it, especially since he was in the middle of being pretty pissed off at her. "I'm not letting Sam scope that place out alone tonight!"

"Okay," she barked, throwing the clothes in the corner and turning back to him with her fists on her hips, standing there in only her bra and panties. He couldn't tell if the red of her cheeks was embarrassment or anger. "Go without me."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Oh, I would, but unfortunately I'm stuck with a raging bitch."

"That's right, Dean. Get on my good side," she spat, folding her arms across her stomach. "Your brother is a big boy. He can handle a night on his own. Besides, the pattern points to there not being an attack tonight anyway."

"What," he shook his head, completely confused.

"The pattern," she restated, rolling her eyes. "Do you ever listen to your brother when he talks?"

Dean felt a bit chagrined, grumbling. "Sometimes I just naturally zone him out."

She growled a little, plopping on the edge of the closest twin bed. "It's been a controlled feeding pattern. Every 3-4 days there's a new victim. I think they're picking off these cardio-lovers because they're more… filling."

"Oh, that's just wrong," he replied, looking a bit sickened.

"I can't believe you missed the whole conversation Sam and I had in the Impala," she scoffed. "You may be the muscle of the duo, but you have to be a little more perceptive than that."

"Hey," he snapped. "I'm normally extremely perceptive! In case you forgot, this curse is causing our personalities to go haywire. For all I know, you're normally a ditz!"

Laney shot to her feet, face most definitely red with anger this time. "Ditz?! You're the bimbo man-whore! And don't try to deny it because people can read it a hundred yards off."

"Just because I know how to have a good time doesn't make me a man-whore," he retorted. "Better than being a stuffy librarian that hasn't gotten laid in years."

Her jaw dropped in shock, and for a moment he felt triumphant. But it didn't, couldn't, last. "I was just getting back into the swing of things. Pity me for not having a better sparring partner."

Dean didn't have a good comeback for that, which irked him. So he went with the next thing that came to mind. "Why are you so bitchy all the time?"

"Really, Dean," she seethed. "Why am I so bitchy? I couldn't be because I'm stuck with an arrogant asshole that couldn't keep his lips to himself and who has done nothing but continue to be an asshole to me on a regular basis, dragging me back and forth places I don't want to go!"

"Well, I'm sorry," he shouted back, and it took him a moment to realize he meant it. He really was sorry he'd caused all this mess. And it was his fault, no denying it. The redness seemed to drain a little from Laney's face and when she didn't respond right away, he decided to continue. He wasn't yelling but he still had an edge to his voice. "I was wrong, okay? Now would you stop being so pissy?"

Laney licked her lips, looking at him intently. "Are you really sorry, Dean? Or are you just saying what you think I want to hear?"

"I have no idea what you want to hear," he shot back, feeling ridiculous in this situation. "I meant it, I'm sorry. Can we end this chick flick moment now?"

When she said nothing, just looked at the floor biting her lip, Dean thought the conversation was over. He was about to move to the other bed when she moved toward him. His body tensed for an attack as she quickly closed the distance between them. She raised a hand as she neared, but it wasn't in any aggressive manner he had ever seen. Before he realized what was going on, her body slammed into his gently, sending him back a step as she grasped the back of his neck and brought their lips together for an almost bruising kiss.

His arms wrapped around her instinctively, even as her tongue slipped out to dance across his lips begging for entrance. He complied, any form of thought leaving his mind when their lips locked together. Her body slid against his, making it hard for him to breathe. He hadn't realized how bad he wanted this again. After a few moments, Laney pulled back just enough to breathe.

"There's something sexy about a man admitting when he's wrong," she cooed, breathless and seductive, against his skin while her hands tugged the dress shirt out of his suit pants.

Dean had to take a moment to catch his breath. "I'm wrong about a lot of things."

"Shut up, Dean," she smiled gently, kissing him again as she undid his pants and let them slide to the floor.

\---

Dean was trying to catch his breath; sure there was a big dumb grin on his face. Laney was beside him on the bed, laying on her stomach as she hummed that Kansas song to herself. Her skin was slick with sweat, strands of hair plastered down. She looked… satisfied. He could say the same about himself as well.

He glanced over at her again when she stirred, leaning up on her elbows to look at him. She seemed uncertain for a moment, which brought him down from his high a little. "Dean?"

"Mmm?" he grunted in response, still trying to catch his breath for words.

"You know you've been an asshole and have deserved just about every insult I've given you," she smirked at him.

"Well, thanks," he replied sarcastically, raising his eyebrows. "But if this is your idea of pillow talk I think you were a little more out of the game than I expected."

Laney leaned over, her bare chest pressing against his, and planted a quick kiss on his cheek. He felt his smile broaden a little when she pulled back. "I'm not done talking, Dean. Shut your pie-hole."

He nodded slightly to let her know he would comply. She smiled briefly, before her face took on a more serious look. "I am sorry about one thing though. That whole incident at my apartment. You were right, I'm too old for stuffed animals and I shouldn't have gone off on you the way I did. Especially bringing up your parents so harshly."

"You don't have to apologize for that," he shook his head, brushing a hand down her bare arm.

"I know I don't," she agreed. "But I'm doing it anyway. And I know you don't need an explanation, but I'm gonna give one to make myself feel better. I couldn't care less if you don't want a chick flick moment. You'll sit through it and take it like a man."

"Fine," he rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"My parents were going to surprise me with a trip to see Australian Pink Floyd," she began. "But the concert was a week or so after my birthday, so they picked up a platypus stuffed animal to give to me at my party as a hint."

She paused for a second, and Dean could see the pain filtering into her eyes. He had seen a glimpse of it before, but it had quickly been taken over by anger. She tried blinking it away before continuing. "A few nights before my party, I was staying over at a friend's house for a sleepover. My parents had gone out to dinner, but when they got home they walked in on someone robbing the house. The shit claimed my parents scared him, that's why he shot them."

"Shit, Laney," was all Dean could muster, and without thought he placed a hand on her cheek for comfort.

She pulled away from it, looking a little uneasy as she settled back on her stomach. "Don't worry though, he's dead now. Apparently he tried to play the part of a cold blooded killer in prison. Got himself shanked. I almost sent the guy a gift basket. But that's it. It's out there. Now you know why I'm fucked in the head."

"You're not fucked in the head," Dean countered, rolling onto his side to face her. She raised a disbelieving eyebrow at him. "Okay, maybe a little, but no more than anyone else would be. Jesus, Laney! Losing family like that…"

His mouth clamped shut out of habit, teeth grinding. That was not a story he shared, least of all with someone he barely knew. It was his to keep bottled up and stew over. But he looked at her laying there, naked and trying to hide the same pain he felt. Damn, he hated chick-flick, emo bullshit moments like this.

"Demon killed my mom when I was little. Sammy was just a baby," he finally admitted, gruffly, like it was dragged out of him against his will. Laney rose up on her elbows and watched his face intently, though he saw no signs of shock like he'd expected. "It's what got my dad started hunting. He trained me and Sam. Then, not too long ago, same demon killed my dad. Don't worry though, he'll be dead soon."

There. He'd laid it on the line. Maybe not everything, but enough to make himself feel a little better laying there next to Laney after she'd spilled her guts. He tensed, waiting for the onslaught he was expecting. He didn't usually tell that story to anyone, but the few times he had, he's been inundated with pity and questions he was never prepared to answer. It was never enough that he'd told the story, people always wanted more. But Laney just looked at him a moment, her expression thoughtful.

She reached out and put a hand on his cheek, running her thumb along his cheekbone and giving him the gentlest expression he thought he'd ever seen in his entire life. Leaning down, she pressed her lips to his softly. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in tightly, thankful that she didn't pry, even though something told him he would've given in if she had.


	12. Making Up Your Mind

Laney knew she was having that dream again. Same non-descript room filled with afternoon sunlight, Dean leaning over her, Carry on My Wayward Son playing on the strange, digitized clock-radio. And she knew what was coming. The darkness just over Dean's shoulder, raising the rebar spike again, looking like two monsters rolled into one. But something was different… something changed. It seemed like there was something even beyond the monster now. It was like pure light, bright enough to drown out the sun and blanch everything around it. And it was talking to her, telling her not to be afraid.

The movement of Dean's lips caught her attention. Again, he was speaking with no sound coming out. But this time when she looked at his face, her heartbeat seemed to slow down, calmed from its frantic rhythm. She knew she couldn't push him out of the way, he wouldn't budge with force. Instead, she leaned up, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissed him. He seemed to become more pliable under her skin. She soon realized she was rolling with him, so that she was on top looking down at him.

Dean looked scared, but Laney felt… serene. The light still seemed to be speaking to her, a quiet but powerful voice, urging her to protect Dean. But she didn't need to hear it. She'd already decided on it without that insistent voice buzzing in her ear. The only thing it was good for was when it told her the monster was about to strike. She smiled down at Dean, who seemed to be shouting at her without a voice. Panic, worry, anger, she was actually kinda touched.

She didn't feel the rebar being shoved through her heart. The only indication was the blood that splattered all over Dean's face and the end that stuck out between them. He reached up, trying to help her, but it was like he was too far away. And all she could focus on was the light buzzing repetitiously in her ears, over and over and over…

\---

Eyes popping open, Laney realized the sound was her cell phone buzzing on the nightstand. Dean was snoring gently beside her and she scrambled to reach the phone to keep from waking him.

"Hello?"

"Laney, this is Bobby," the gruff, familiar voice sounded. "Did I wake ya?"

She grumbled low. "Yep."

"Good," he replied flippantly. "Thought I'd let you know I talked to those Hunters I mentioned the other day. Now, none of them had any instances of classic rock music running through their head, but they all did say something about prophetic dreams."

"Of course they did," she groaned, wiping a hand down her face. "What kind of prophetic dreams?"

"Varied," he answered. "One guy just figured out his wife was banging the mailman. Another was able to figure out how to defeat a monster he was hunting. All over the map and seemingly very case specific. Have you been having any?"

"Well, I guess we only know if one of them comes true," she sighed. "Any luck on the spell front?"

There was a pause that told Laney all she needed to know. But after a beat, Bobby answered "I'm still workin on it."

"Thanks," she said whole-heartedly. "Get some sleep, old man. We'll probably be back in a night or two."

"Night," he grunted, agitated, and the line went dead. She shut her phone and laid her head back on the pillow. It startled her when Dean shifted to wrap an arm around her, pulling her easily against his chest.

"Who was that," he murmured against the top of her head, obviously still asleep.

"Just a friend," she answered, adjusting herself against him to be more comfortable.

His only response was a gentle "Mmm …"

\---

Sam woke them both up with his phone call, Dean's cell having been set on its highest volume. He bolted upright, recognizing his brother's ringtone even in his sleep. "Yeah?"

"Dean, I found our vampire," Sam informed. "It's Vicki."

"The cardio instructor," he questioned, looking over to find Laney stretching her still-naked body across the sheets before sitting up with a curious look. "How'd you figure that out?"

"You're never gonna believe this," his brother remarked. "She threw a guy through a plate glass window because she said –and I quote- 'he's too fatty.'"

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered. "Where are you? Laney and I will meet you there and track this bitch down."

"Followed her to a rundown house near 5th and Market. I can't tell if there's anyone else there or not."

Dean nodded to himself. "Okay 5th and Market. Sit tight, we'll be on our way."

He closed his phone and turned to look at Laney. She was already standing, slipping her panties back on with a slight shimmy that brought a smirk to his face. When she looked back over her shoulder at him, she raised an eyebrow. "You gonna get dressed, Dean? Or do you plan on going naked?"

He shrugged, but stood to get dressed. When he was just about finished, Laney rounded to his side of the bed, fully dressed, and brushed some lint off his jacket. She looked up at him with a smirk of her own. "Must be a little awkward waking up next to the girl you went to bed with."

Her tone had been teasing, which Dean found promising. He tilted his head a little in consideration. "I dunno. At least you don't snore."

Her soft chuckled made his smile widen. This was definitely going better than the last time. She moved away from him, toward the door and he followed her out of the motel room to the Impala. He was a little confused when she opened the door to the backseat.

"Sam's spot," she answered his unspoken question with a light air.

That tore it. She was being just too darn agreeable. He cleared his throat to get her attention, but when he had it, he felt a little awkward. "Um, Laney, can we maybe call a truce here? I mean, we're getting along great right now, but I don't want us to start fighting in the middle of a den of vampires over something stupid."

She seemed to consider it, but the smile had left her face which worried him. Finally, she stuck her hand out toward him in an offering. "Okay. You try not to be an arrogant ass and I'll try not to be a raging bitch. Deal?"

"Deal," he affirmed, taking her hand to give it a firm shake. She gave a curt nod before sliding into the backseat. He followed suit, hopping into the driver's seat to start the Impala.

"So," he asked, glancing at her in the rearview mirror with his smoothest smile as he pulled out of the parking lot. "Was last night still just mediocre?"

Laney leaned over the back of the seat and teased "You're getting better. Could use a little more practice though."

He glanced at her, slightly offended, but she leaned over and ran the tip of her tongue along the outer curve of his ear before nibbling gently. It caused him to shiver and he watched in the rearview mirror as she sat back with a coy smile. Strangely agreeable, but he couldn't deny that he was enjoying it.


End file.
